The Passage Not Taken
by Reun
Summary: Trunks and Goten would stop at nothing to escape boredom. But after they recklessly triggered a major event that provoked the derailment of history, a new chronology was written, and events started to unfold very differently from what they used to know. Part 1 of 2 of the Passage Series.
1. Sudden Desire

_Pre-note: This story is labelled as featuring Trunks and Goten, but toward the end, especially from chapter 15 onward, the focus will slightly shift toward Goten and a certain character._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT. I also don't own the movie you'll get to read about._

_Happy reading!_

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><p>It had been five years since the defeat of Majin Buu, and life had been too peaceful.<p>

Atypical of Saiyan little boys, perhaps thanks to their mixed heritage compounded with their whimsical nature, Trunks and Goten had been lazier than a bear in hibernation. In these times of peace they had grown considerably soft and for far too long they had neglected their training, much to Vegeta's chagrin. On the other hand, Goku, being a carefree and happy-go-lucky person he was, didn't mind it one bit; the boys had done a great job in attempting to save the world, and being eight and seven at the time, that was saying something. He thought they would appreciate a period of rest.

Right after the Buu incident, Bulma and Chichi enrolled their children in Orange Star Elementary School, where Trunks was admitted into second grade and Goten first. Being the son of the most brilliant engineer-scientist, second grade subjects had been a walk in the park for the former and he managed to breeze through them no problem, acing every single test coming his way. The latter, however, wasn't that lucky; at first, he was having difficulties in coping with the overwhelming influx of new information related to the brain instead of brawn, but Gohan had always been there to help him with his studies, and his grades gradually became better and better.

Although they had to restrain their superhuman abilities, school had been fun for the Saiyan kids. They were jesters in their respective classes, everybody loved them, and the teachers were just extremely gullible to pull pranks on. They would get into trouble, of course, and their mothers were no stranger to be called over to the school, but at least along with their fellow students they could get a good laugh. Every lunch break, they would meet up in a secluded place—usually behind the sports hall—and discuss about what to do and whom to make fun of while eating their three capsules' worth of food. Life was good, and without a delusional galactic tyrant, narcissistic insect-like android, or deranged pink magical creature terrorising the universe, it couldn't get any better.

However, now that it had been five years after they first experienced the excitement of school life, the slow life of vacation period was steadily taking its toll on the now preadolescent Trunks and Goten. Don't get the wrong idea, though; they loved holiday because they could go places like they always did when they were still free all year long, but being unable to do anything for two full months was just plain boring. There was nothing to study since materials for the next academic year would only be available after the holiday—besides, Trunks was preparing for his enrolment in Orange Star Middle School, every video game title in their collection had already been beaten, and they would always try their best to keep martial arts training to minimum. They knew they had gotten rusty, but it had been too long since they last made use of their fighting skills they felt there really was no point in carrying on.

"Trunks, I'm bored! Do you have anything interesting to do?" complained Goten. He tossed aside the book he was reading so ardently just moments ago.

"Man, Goten. It doesn't take much to bore you, huh?" replied Trunks, who was sitting across him on the enormous bed. His attention was seemingly locked to something on his laptop screen. "What about the VR console I gave you for your birthday? It has lots of games, right?"

"I've beaten all the games already," the twelve-year-old rubbed the back of his head and produced that sheepish smile exclusive to his family.

His friend was quick to make a comeback, "Heh, no wonder you often flunked your quizzes."

"Hey!" Goten retorted by hurling a pillow to Trunks's direction, which he swiftly dodged, "Note the use of past tense! Now I always ace my quizzes. Besides, Gohan also plays a lot!"

Trunks smirked, put his laptop on the bed, and made yet another comeback, "Yeah, but he was born clever. Not like a certain someone I know."

"Excuse me?"

Goten lunged at Trunks with all his might. Although they had neglected training for a long time, one couldn't disagree that they were still a force to be reckoned with, especially because of the blood of this particular warrior race coursing through their veins. Locked in an even struggle, both boys rolled on the floor; fist met fist, elbow met elbow, and knee met knee, and foot met foot. This would go on and on until someone gained the upper hand, and after ten minutes of tussle, that someone appeared to be Goten. He seized Trunks and had him locked under the weight of his body, his forearm pinning his neck against the floor.

"Hee-hee! You're getting weaker with time, Trunks," he said with a victorious smile.

"Hmm. There goes your guard," Trunks retorted. In a flash, he flipped over and effortlessly reversed the position and smiled smugly. "Look who's talking."

Goten was surprised by the sudden turning of the table. "Hey, not fair! Lemme go!" he shouted while desperately flailing his arms and legs around to liberate himself, but his efforts appeared to be fruitless.

"Not until you give up."

"I won't… give up…" the younger halfling struggled to free himself of Trunks's hold, but suddenly stopped and relaxed himself in seeming disinterestedness. "But I'm bored."

Hearing Goten's remark, Trunks sweatdropped and let his guard down, allowing his hostage to break free. Backing away a good distance from him, Goten snickered, "You fell for it! You should've been able to see through me. I win, though I'm really bored."

The latter looked shocked for having tricked by his cunning friend. He had forgotten about the tricks Goten always seemed to have up his sleeves. Nevertheless, he actually felt exactly the same and couldn't agree more to him. He sighed in genuine lack of excitement, "Yeah… me too."

They climbed up the bed and returned to what they had been doing previously: Goten continued to read a cooking book full of recipes that made his mouth water in no time, and Trunks resumed the movie he had been watching on his laptop. When the younger boy had had enough of flipping through countless pictures of impeccably prepared food, he approached his friend and joined him in the movie.

"Whatcha watching?" Goten inquired curiously. He was keen to know what kind of movie was capable of keeping Trunks's attention on it for quite a long period of time.

"Just watch," was all Trunks said as he shifted slightly to the left to make room for Goten.

And so they watched together. It was a science-fiction horror movie in which a number of space monsters had infested the protagonist's spaceship. These black intimidating aliens had uncanny abilities such as spitting highly corrosive substance, matching their body temperature to their surroundings much like the Z-fighters could hide their power levels to avoid detection, having a thick exoskeleton impervious to firearms, and being equipped with a strong tail capable of piercing through a spacesuit.

Goten couldn't even stand thirty minutes of the movie because of the gruesome deaths experienced by the unfortunate crews of the doomed spaceship. All the blood and gore proved too much for him to handle, and he screamed like a little girl—much to Trunks's amusement—upon seeing an alien kill a man by piercing his skull with something that looked like another mouth coming out from its mouth. Unable to stand the violence any longer, he returned to the cooking book, but found himself losing his appetite because of the macabre movie and began feeling nauseous, so he curled into foetal position and tried his best to un-see the grisly scenes from earlier.

Seeing his friend cower in fear, Trunks couldn't help jeering at him. "Heh, Goten, considering we've gone through Majin Buu, you're a timid one, arentcha?"

"Hey, watch it!" Goten, who had never liked the idea of being made fun of, retorted with a deadly glare. If looks could kill, he would've killed thousands.

"Whoa, whoa, just kidding," not wanting to involve himself in yet another meaningless scuffle, Trunks apologised as quickly as possible. Goten calmed down in record time, but all that followed was silence with an air of dullness.

The obsidian-eyed boy was struggling to get the visual details of the terrifying alien killing the poor spaceship crew, but to no avail. The black, perpetually salivating monster had imprinted itself in his brain and refused to be displaced, even by force, and whenever Goten tried to steer his mind to other thoughts it just simply homed back to this very creature. Seeing there was no way for a get-around for the time being, he had no choice but to man up and cope with it.

However, he couldn't help musing about the aliens' physical appearance. As far as he could remember, the only aliens he had seen up to this point didn't have such grotesque looks and had been more human-like. Were there numerous races residing in the vast unknowns of space? Did every race look different from each other?

"Piccolo is also from outer space… how come he doesn't look like them?" Goten's thought escaped through his mouth.

Hearing this, Trunks shuddered. He couldn't imagine the familiar green man being black and having elongated skull with another mouth inside his mouth; that would simply be horrible. "Well, our dads are from outer space, too, and they don't look like them," he replied, gaining a nervous chuckle from his younger counterpart. "And so are Kibito Kai and Old Kai. They're from outer space too, you know… oh!" suddenly his eyes gleamed in excitement, "Hey, I wanna see what Frieza looked like!"

Goten was surprised at Trunks's sudden desire. It was true that they had never seen Frieza before; they had heard stories about him from others, but they weren't satisfied enough with their description of him. Although the idea of seeing what Frieza looked like seemed appealing for Goten, he couldn't immediately come out with any way to fulfil that wish.

"But how?" he cocked his head to the left and a furrow formed between his eyebrows, "I mean, he's dead now, and somehow there are no videos or pictures of him. I thought the internet was a place where you can find absolutely anything."

Trunks smirked. "Well, we can't see him on the screen, alright…" he said knowingly. Goten had somehow expected it; his best friend wouldn't come out with an idea if he hadn't thought of a means to achieve it, one way or another. "But that means we'll just have to see the live broadcast."

Goten caught Trunks's flow and started hopping in anticipation. He was extremely thrilled and practically beaming with excitement. "Really, Trunks? Wowee, this should be fun!"

"Yup, Goten," replied Trunks as he spread his arms wide in hopes of adding a dramatic value to his words, "Tonight, we're going to the past."

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><p><em>Post-Note: A nameless reviewer informed me that 5 years after Majin Buu Trunks and Goten would be in middle school instead of elementary. That's correct. In this story, they were enrolled in elementary school right after the Buu saga, when they were 8 and 7. Paragraphs two to four were set during that time. Hopefully this clears the confusion, and thanks for pointing it out :)<em>


	2. Reality Jumpers

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Happy reading!_

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><p>"Okay, we're online."<p>

"Cool! Gee, I wish I'm as good as you, Trunks. I can sneak into school network to modify my past grades!"

It was four in the morning. Everybody in the enormous compound except Trunks and Goten was still in slumber, and they had woken up for a reason: hacking into Capsule Corp's security network. The halflings had been busy with Trunks's laptop for the past hour, trying to bypass countless encrypted units of zeros and ones that almost made no sense even to the thirteen-year-old prodigy. To tell the truth, their success was only because of a streak of good luck, but of course the overly proud Trunks would never admit it.

"You can't change history, Goten," said Trunks, haughtiness brimming in his voice, "You can only create one. Now let's see… where did mom store the time machine capsule?"

The laptop screen was now displaying a three-dimensional floor plan of Capsule Corp. Trunks struggled to remember the exact capsule room as he navigated his way around the blue and red blocks. There were just too many rooms for him to remember, and the convoluted hallways were making things even worse. He for the life of him could never understand how people would find their way out from the depths of the lab in case of earthquake or fire.

Suddenly, something clicked inside Goten's head. "Trunks, display west wing, R&D module, B3," the younger boy instructed. Trunks wondered where it came from, but complied nonetheless. "Here. Unlock the door to this room," he said again, pointing to a small, L-shaped room.

"Really? Howdcha know?"

"We've been there before, remember? When we tried to steal the capsule to visit the future?" Goten tried to jog his friend's memory, and was quick to follow with a seemingly very important remark, "Oh, this time, make sure you disengage the area lock as well. I don't wanna be chased around by the bots again for trespassing! They're scary!"

"Uh, I guess you're right, haha…" replied Trunks with a nervous chuckle. He winced as he walked down the unpleasant memory lane.

When they were ten and nine, they had snooped around the R&D module to get their hands on the time machine. Bulma had told them stories about time travel, much to the children's excitement. Those stories proved enough to fuel their interest about the future—one of them, actually; Goten had seen the future once when the other Trunks took him and cure him of his heart disease, but Trunks who hadn't insisted that they pay a little visit—so they agreed to snatch the time machine in the middle of the night. What they didn't know was that an area lock had been set up for the entire module; they unknowingly trespassed the area, and in an instant alarms blared, security robots sprang to life, and the next thing they knew they were being chased around by a very large, intimidating, almost military-scale robot flinging tear gas bombs and flashbangs to all directions. The commotion was loud enough to wake Bulma up; she immediately disengaged the security system and gave the tear-soaked, bleary-eyed boys a scolding of their lives and five wallops of the extremely hard and sturdy Frying Pan of Apocalypse she obtained from Kibito Kai as her new year present around five years back.

Not wanting to relive that stupid moment, Trunks did some more hacking into the system and tinkered with some apparently important bytes. His efforts were rewarded with some kind of a dialog box with an option to toggle the security system on or off. He smiled as with a few clicks of the mouse he turned them off.

"Alright, just in case, I've shut down the security system as well. No alarms, no bots, no worries! It's gonna be a walk in the park."

Trusting his friend, Goten was brimming with excitement. There hadn't been many instances in which he got to travel through time; last time he did that, he went to the future, but now they got to visit the past and see the younger selves of their friends and relatives, as well as Frieza. He managed to have Trunks pack up some clothes for their journey since there was a good chance that they would be staying there for quite a while—after all, they would need to go to Namek to see Frieza. With everything ready, they proceeded to sneak into the west wing.

Normally, they would need a level two card keys to access the R&D module, but with the security system shut down the doors were more than willing to grant them passage. They minded their step, though; it didn't hurt to exercise extra caution when walking between two rows of imposing security robots, even though they had been pacified. One wrong move on their part might trigger an unexpected turn of events, and escaping angry mechanical golems—again—was on the bottom of Trunks and Goten's to-do list right now.

"We're on basement three. What's the room number again?" asked Trunks. Goten responded by flashing him a hand gesture signifying the number seven. "B3-07… there you are."

Finally finding their way to the room their goal was in, the young Saiyans opened the metal door. It was a storeroom of some sort where old but not completely useless parts from the research and development department were deposited. And as one might have expected, being equivalent with an archive room, countless items were stored in that small space; it took Trunks and Goten another hour of rummaging through the paraphernalia of articles before finally finding the capsule case which had been hiding inside a box in the deepest part of the store.

With the object of their interest in their possession, the boys returned everything back to where it had been before with Other-Worldly speed and efficiency, shut the store door, and quickly scurried through the twisting and turning hallways of the R&D module before finally making their way out to the grassy backyard.

The case contained a dozen capsules and there was no way to tell which one held the time machine, so they had to try them one by one. Some of them were filled with junk; there were all kinds of old utilities and appliances such as washing machine, fridge, hovercar, and even an old, dilapidated small capsule house. It was as though they were used to contain items Bulma didn't need or want anymore but too huge to move around easily. Good news finally smiled at them, however, when they opened the ninth capsule which contained their means of transport.

Trunks pressed a button on one of the legs and delighted when the canopy opened up; it was still working. He hovered into the cockpit and naturally flicked a red switch, partly because it was the only one with a striking colour. A low humming sound was produced as a result; it seemed the switch supplied power to the mains and brought the machine to life. Sure enough, moments later various LEDs lit up on the display panel as the capsule-shaped vehicle was initialised. Trunks settled on the pilot seat and beckoned at Goten. The younger boy followed suit, taking his place on the navigator seat.

With the canopy lowered, it turned into a display panel on which Trunks saw a dialog box opening. "Alright, so… now it prompts for a destination date. Heh, piece of cake," he said. Operating the machine was easier than a turning over a baby's palm. "Goten, you have the date, right?"

"Yeah! 14 November, Age 762. Hee-hee. Gohan fell right through it!" replied a very cheerful Goten. He had somehow tricked his brother to provide him the details of their trip to Namek down to the date and time. How he did that, no one in the world or the Other would ever figure out; one didn't simply guess what was brewing in Goten's mind.

"Man, I dunno what that means. Either you got lucky or Gohan was being stupid," the cerulean-eyed boy grinned as he took pleasure in making fun of his friend, which gained him a bop on the head with Goten's bookbag. Laughing sadistically, he inputted the destination date with the keypad. "There. We're one button press away from blasting off."

"Wait, wait. There's a warning," Goten prevented his friend from doing anything else. For all he knew, disregarding warnings may bring about unpleasant consequences. "Hmm… 'No records detected. Destination timeline will be selected at random. Press the open button to input another date, or the ignition button to proceed anyway.' Are you sure about this, Trunks?"

"Well, it's not like we have any other choice. Here goes nothing!" said Trunks nonchalantly, pressing a button conveniently labelled 'Ignition'.

In a flash, the two time travellers zapped out from their timeline and ceased to be. If one were to look from inside the time machine, he would see everything progressing in reverse very slowly and gradually becoming faster and faster, until there was nothing else but light which gets redder and redder as time passes. Trunks was a little amused with the redshifting light, but Goten kept to himself and stayed silent; not only because he had seen something like this before, but also because of Trunks's being unheeding of risks.

"You're always like that, arentcha? You never think much before making your move," Goten mumbled loud enough for his friend to hear.

"Let me tell you something, Goten. Life is too short to make lengthy decisions," Trunks retorted. He exaggerated his gestures to appear more philosophical and dramatic.

Hearing the older halfling, Goten just sighed and said quite gloomily, "I don't wanna spoil the fun, but suddenly I have a bad feeling about this," his voice assumed a slightly gloomy tone, "Is it really okay, Trunks? I mean, we're not supposed to interfere with their timeline."

"Ah, you're just overreacting."

"I don't think so."

"Hey… Goten, you okay?" asked Trunks, who was now concerned about his downcast friend. Goten very rarely acted like this, so he figured out he had to cheer him up somehow. "Look, pal! We get to see Gohan, my dad, and your dad fighting Frieza! We'll just sneak into my mom's ship, pretend to be helpless kids, and watch, that's all."

"I hope you're right, Trunks… let's try not to mess up anything, okay?"

Trunks gave him the thumbs up, and he cracked a little smile after being assured. Now that they were in the trip already and there was nothing they could do to stop it, Goten decided to make himself as comfortable as possible. He rummaged through his relatively large bookbag—he had it with him because he was having a stayover at Capsule Corp, took out a comic book, and started to read while leaning on the backrest. Seeing Trunks had been watching the emptiness outside as though it had been the most interesting thing in the world, he passed him his game console to play with.

It seemed they had spent a considerably long time in the time machine, because the next thing Goten realised was that his comic book was covering his face; he must have fallen asleep while reading. Trunks, too, slumped in his seat and was currently in his own la-la land; the game console was still on with his character also sleeping for being left idle for some time, so Goten decided to continue what Trunks had abandoned. Around ten minutes into the game, Goten saw Trunks stir in his sleep and slowly regain wakefulness.

"Morning, Trunks," Goten greeted Trunks who responded with a nice, big wake-up stretch.

"Mmmhh… not there yet?"

"Nuh-uh. It's a long trip—WAH!"

Suddenly, the machine experienced some kind of turbulence; everything was shaking very violently. The tremor was so intense it was enough to completely snap Trunks back to his fully awake state.

"Wow! Wh-what's happening?" shocked, Goten tried to find something to hold on to. It was no use, of course, since the entire machine was quaking.

"Hang tight, Goten!"

After a while, as quickly as it had begun the tremor stopped, and Trunks and Goten let out a sigh of relief. Their respite didn't last long, though; they abruptly came into stop, reality suddenly existed in the empty space outside, and there was a sharp downward yank followed by the machine crashing onto the ground. They had arrived, but the landing wasn't as comfortable as Goten had thought it would be.

"Yeowch… we crash-landed…" Goten muttered while trying to get up and open the canopy. However, before he could do that, large green texts on the display caught his attention. He squinted to see through his blurry vision, and appeared surprised when the texts registered in his mind. "WAH! Look at this, Trunks!"

Unsure of what just happened, Trunks got back to his seating position to see what Goten was so agitated about. When he did, his mind struggled to make sense of it. "Hey, wait a sec… 18 December, Age 762? I'm sure I inputted the correct date."

"Yeah! But it seems whatever it was earlier causes us to land one month later!"

"Oh great… there goes our chance of getting to Namek, AND getting back to our timeline."

The younger boy was astounded by his friend's words. "H-huh? Whaddya mean?"

"Wake up, dummy. Assess the damage around you."

Goten did as he was told to. He found out that his blurry vision had been caused by smoke, and when he saw where the smoke came from he got visibly dumbstruck. The control panel was fried and some parts were cracked open, revealing the circuit board underneath it. He could see cables jutting out from everywhere, complete with electric sparks flying from the open ends. It didn't take a genius to tell that something—if not everything—had gone awfully awry, and being a skittish boy he was, Goten's first reaction was none other than freaking out.

"Trunks! Does it mean we're trapped here forever? I still wanna go home! Wawawawaaaah!"

"Goten, be quiet, you're driving me nuts!" the older Saiyan hybrid snapped in vexation seeing his friend undergoing a fit of frenzy. Somehow, the former always had the power to silence the latter in this kind of situation. "Sheesh… you could be a baby sometimes. Now listen. The time machine didn't jump far in space, so we must have landed in Capsule Corp," he explained, although he wasn't sure whether or not it would permeate that thick skull typical of non-Gohan Son boys, "There should be spare parts around. We'll just have to search for them, and I hope I can repair it."

Goten looked sceptical, especially after hearing Trunks's last words; the genius didn't seem convinced of himself either. "Yeah, you hope. Way to go."

"Shut it, you! Now help me."

With that, Trunks jumped out of the time machine, capsulised it, then took a look around. They had shipwrecked in a small room with a single bed and a wardrobe with two doors: one connected the room to the toilet and the other to a much larger round room with a huge central pillar. The place looked nothing like the Capsule Corp they had grown up to see, so they proceeded to explore it a little bit more, hoping to figure out where exactly they had made their landing.

There was a metal ladder leading downstairs; since Trunks was checking around the round room, Goten figured he could cover more ground by having a look at the lower level. As he descended the ladder, he shouted, "Your house seventeen years ago sure is dull, huh Trunks?"

"No… it's not my house," he replied, but the younger boy didn't bother.

The basement turned out to be some kind of a pantry with an enormous fridge, a microwave oven, and a small stove. Being the complete doppelganger of Goku, Goten got naturally interested with everything that was related to food, so he opened the fridge door. To his utter astonishment, inside there was a huge amount of food—fish, meat, eggs, juice, and even beer—which could well satisfy a full-blooded Saiyan for ten straight days, a heavenly sight that made his eyes dilate. He then subconsciously reached to an enormous roast beef sandwich, held it before his face, and readied himself to devour it.

"Goten! Hey, c'mere, hurry!"

If it hadn't been Trunks, he would probably have stormed out of the pantry and blast whoever it was who dared to disturb his blissful time to kingdom come. Since it was Trunks, he hovered up the ladder to the central room and would just whine and make silly faces at him; however, upon seeing the lilac-haired preteen waving at him enthusiastically, he suppressed the urge to do so and approached him.

"Look at this!" cried Trunks, pointing to a control panel of some sort. Suspending above it was a rather large monitor showing technical details in small green fonts. "This must be a spaceship!"

"Wowee! You're right, Trunks! This is cool!" exclaimed Goten in enthusiasm. He then proceeded to take a look around and—although he had no idea how to tell them apart—see if there were any spare parts in the ship that could be used to repair their time machine.

While wondering around, he somehow had his memory jogged. If this was a Capsule Corp spaceship, then the enormous device surrounding the central pillar had to be a gravity machine. There was a single bedroom, so someone was meant to take this machine all by himself, but the amount of food in the fridge was an overkill. That day was around one month since Gohan's departure to Namek, which meant…

"Hey, we're lucky! It's pre-programmed to travel straight to Namek!" the genius boy hollered in excitement as though he had just found a sunken galleon full of treasure, "Let's go!"

"Let's… what?" said Goten with a confused tone. In that split second, the pieces of memory he had been thinking about just moments ago arranged themselves nicely in his mind as he figured out whom this spaceship belonged to, and what purpose it should serve. "TRUNKS! NO, WAIT!" he rushed toward his friend, desperately trying to stop him from doing anything foolish.

It was too late. Before Goten could even reach Trunks, the latter had punched the ignition button on the control panel. Moments later, the ship rumbled and shook violently, a sharp upward jerk followed, and the scenery outside the hull window quickly shifted from the familiar trees and buildings of the earth to the vast blackness of space as blast off they did out of the earth's atmosphere.

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><p><em>Not more than a minute ago…<em>

_A lavender-haired scientist was tending to his beloved cat, Scratch, while watching his exotic mix of pets roam about an indoor grassy turf fitted with an enormous dome-shaped skylight. His period of bliss was interrupted, however, when suddenly he heard a rumbling sound from the compound lawn._

_"Hmm? I wonder what that rumbling sound is," looking up toward the sky, he mused as he put his coffee cup on the table just next to him._

"_Oh! Perhaps it's an earthquake!" said Mrs. Brief, who was eating her home-made cakes and cookies with her husband, with her usual singsong voice, "But why is the ground not shaking?"_

_Realisation soon struck Dr. Brief and in horror he ran toward the outer lawn of Capsule Corp. "No, dear, it's not… it's the spaceship!"_

_The scientist was right. When they arrived to the lawn on which their spaceship had been parked, a gust of hot wind and dust greeted them, momentarily blinding them. When the dust cleared, there were absolutely no traces left of the technological marvel Dr. Brief had built for a certain rescue mission other than a twenty-metre crater on the ground._

_Behind the dumbfounded couple stood a clueless Goku, who was rubbing the back of his head and struggling to make sense of the entire situation. "Uhh… can somebody explain to me what's going on? I don't get it. I'm here, so who's inside that thing?"_


	3. Authors of a New Story

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Happy reading!_

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><p>"Trunks…" Goten's gaze was fixed on the great emptiness of space outside. He was too flabbergasted to even think straight. "You… know what you've done, right?"<p>

"Yeah, I've just flown us to Namek. Why?" replied Trunks in a very nonchalant manner. How he did that was absolutely beyond Goten's comprehension.

"We're not supposed to take this spaceship!"

"Aw, c'mon, Goten. It's a fine ship, we just did her a favour by flying it," Trunks made a waving gesture with his hand as though encouraging Goten to shrug off his excessive worry, "I'm sure she won't like the idea of ending up as a piece of oversized junk."

"How could you be so calm about this, Trunks? Remember the reason why this ship was there in the first place!"

"Remember the reason why we came here. We're going to Namek to see Frieza, and this ship was there as our means to do exactly that."

"I can't believe you're dumber than me, Trunks!" Goten finally snapped in vexation. He succeeded in earning a strange look from Trunks, who still couldn't understand what he was agitated about. What kind of occasion could possibly make Goten lash out like that? This had never happened before. "Don't tell me you forget, because if that's your idea of a joke, then it's not funny! The one who's… who WAS supposed to fly there in this ship is—"

"Your dad," Trunks interjected swiftly and matter-of-factly, "Yeah, yeah… we all know that he went to Namek, defeat Fri—oh crud."

That very moment, realisation hit Trunks harder than a runaway train. The ship they had stolen was the same ship that was originally intended for transport of the man who would defeat the galactic tyrant, and now said person wasn't even aboard. An awful turn of events whose root cause was Trunks had taken place, and he was left wondering what the fate of the universe would be. Who would've thought one simple, curious, innocent desire would bring about this serious repercussion? Actually, Goten would. He wasn't always the voice of reason behind Trunks's actions, but when he was, the reason was valid. The elder halfling simply never learnt, and now how he wished he had.

"What have we done, Goten?"

"What have we done? What have YOU done!" although his mother had told him it was rude and he knew it, Goten pointed accusingly at his buddy, "Trunks, I thought you promised not to mess around! Now this timeline is ruined…"

"… and there's no telling what will happen from this point onward. Everything may end up very differently from what we know."

"You got it right at the spot! So why, Trunks? Whydcha have to screw up so much on your first try?"

"Goten—"

"First, you didn't think again before going here. Next, our time machine is destroyed. And as if they weren't enough, you just had to hijack this ship, didntcha!"

"Goten, calm down. Listen—"

"And finally we're here, in the trip to space, leaving my dad behind, and now an uncertain future awaits us and the people of this timeline! Good job, Trunks, we're lost in space and time! How could you ask me—"

"GOTEN! SHUT THE HECK UP, WILL YA!"

Trunks had had enough of all these seemingly unfair but true accusations. Partly because he was unwilling to carry the burden by himself, he exploded and cast a death glare which caused Goten, whom the glare was directed to, to cringe and step back in surprise. Trunks kept his eyes locked toward him but he stooped his head in what seemed to be a mix of sadness and abashment. The silence was deafening; no one had the guts to speak at the time.

"… I'm sorry," Goten finally broke the minute-long uncomfortable quiet although he was still staring at the floor, regret filling his voice. He knew he shouldn't have arrowed everything at Trunks since he had been just as excited at the prospect of meeting Frieza, and shifting the entire burden to the poor guy wasn't exactly the best course of action.

"No, Goten. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shout. I just… I dunno what to do," said the cerulean-eyed boy. Being the proud son of a haughty Saiyan prince, he tried hard not to show his embarrassment but still couldn't deny the fact that he was the one who had brought them here. "Y-you're right, it was my fault. I should've thought about it first and not acted on impulse… I'm stupid, stupid!"

Another silence followed. The two youngsters had absolutely no idea what they were supposed to do now that they had involved themselves in this complicated affair of the entire universe's survival. Sure, they had fought Majin Buu before, but then again they hadn't been able to finish him off, and Goku was there to help them. This time they weren't as lucky since they were by themselves; besides, it had been five years since they last fought seriously and their fighting skills might have gotten so rusty. But was there really any other alternative?

"So… what's next?"

"Uh, well… I dunno," Trunks stood up and started walking in circles. He always did that when jogging his mind to come up with something useful; by useful, it meant it wasn't some pranks or other crazy ideas to be pulled on random people. He knew it was not the time for silly games. "Hmm… I guess we train? You see, since we've, um, taken your dad's position…"

"You mean… now we're the ones who have to beat Frieza? Gee, Trunks… we really are changing history."

"No, we're not changing history… we're creating one," he replied in the exact same tone he had used when saying a similar line to Goten earlier that day, "And there's no other way. You see, in our time, dad, Gohan, and Krillin didn't stand a chance against him, and your dad… well, he's—"

"Do you think we can ask your grandpa to build another ship for my dad?" Goten cut Trunks mid-sentence.

At first it sounded like a brilliant idea, but Trunks quickly shoved it away, "No chance, Goten… building a new one from scratch isn't easy, you know. It'll take too much time." He remembered helping Bulma build a spaceship for an important client before, and even with the more sophisticated technology they had in their timeline, it still took two weeks to finish. Goten just sighed and accepted defeat. "Besides, I don't want the others to find out who we are. Let's cut the communication means first…" he continued while looking around the room, trying to find the audio-visual components of said system.

"Can you do it? Because I can't." As much as he agreed with Trunks, technical stuffs were never Goten's forte, so he had to believe in his friend to get the job done. He got a weak nod from him as a reply, thanked him, and strolled into the bedroom to lie down and hopefully calm himself down.

The raven-haired preteen lay sprawled on the slightly wide bed and let out a huge sigh. He tried to shove away a number of thoughts coursing through his head but it was in vain; dreaded presumptions of their future kept coming and attacking him. Was it okay if they were to fight Frieza? Was it okay if they only wanted to see him? Or was their decision to travel back in time even a wise one? An endless barrage of what-ifs thrashed his tired mind while he really didn't want to think about anything right now—besides, it was too late to regret their actions now—so he closed his eyes and let sleep slowly take over his mind.

His repose only lasted for a moment, though. When Goten was halfway between awareness and slumber, a voice of something breaking echoed through the doorway, violently yanking him back into the land of the wakeful.

'Oh no, what's Trunks doing?' he said to himself, 'I hope he's not messing up with anything…' He doubt it, though, since the sound was too loud to be considered normal; he rushed to the central room, braced himself for anything out of the ordinary, and got wide-eyed upon seeing his lilac-haired friend pinned against the floor by a huge monitor.

Goten scurried toward the boy in distress and attempted to aid him. "Trunks! What happened? Are you okay?" he asked as he cleared the debris away. The monitor was a heavy one, alright, and had Trunks been pure-blooded human, his would've been crushed under its weight. Thank goodness for Saiyan toughness.

Not that he couldn't take care of it by himself, but he thanked Goten for freeing him from the grasp of the Monitor of Doom. Trunks then got up to his feet, insisted that he was alright, untangled some cables that had somehow coiled around him, and brushed off the dust on his shirt. "Phew… that should do it. Now transmission to and from earth will be blocked. They won't be able to see or hear us."

"I thought you were gonna cut the cables or something…"

"You really think I'm gonna mess with the ship's circuitry and risk being trapped here in outer space? Thanks, but no, thanks."

"Trunks Brief of Capsule Corp destroyed a TV set just to turn it off. Gotta check the headlines tomorrow," Goten snickered, an action which earned him a strange but amusing look from his older counterpart. He loved it when he succeeded in irritating Trunks with his own comeback since usually it was the other way around. Trunks's face was just too hilarious; too bad Goten didn't bring along his camera to immortalise the entertaining expression crossing his face.

"Anyway…" he started after having been satisfied of his minor—but extremely significant in his eyes he thought a celebration ought to be held—accomplishment, "It looks like it's time to train, huh Trunks? Gee, I hope we haven't gotten rusty yet."

Trunks had himself lost in thought for a while, seemingly weighing between available options, except there weren't any other alternatives to begin with. "Hmm… okay, I guess," replied Trunks, "Man, it's been ages. Too bad we're not in our uniforms, that would be nostalgic."

Goten took a quick look on his clothes; he was wearing a shirt over long sleeves, bermuda pants, and sneakers. Trunks was dressed similarly except for the colour, and donned golden boots instead of sneakers. When they peeked into their bookbags they could only find similar casual outfits; the martial arts uniforms they used to wear during had become relics of antiquity. Besides, they had grown up, and the uniforms wouldn't fit them anyway. They punched and kicked at imaginary opponents, and after finding out their attires were actually very comfortable and didn't impede movement, they decided to stick with them.

And so they trained. It was a bit awkward at first since a couple of years had passed since their last serious fight; they could only see with their eyes, had limited control over their energy flux, were unable to sense each other's power level, and even Super Saiyan forms easily drained them of their strength. Every so often they needed to rest, but being fighters by nature, martial arts had never been rocket science and it didn't take long for them to regain mastery over their skills.

After an hour's worth of nap, they had a go at it again; this time, although they still couldn't reach the vigour they possessed five years ago, they fared better than before. At least there were improvements: they could easily swat energy blasts that previously burned their skin, playing hide-and-seek was no longer useful now that they could sense energy fluctuations from each other, and they managed to maintain their Super forms for a considerably longer time. They trained and fought as passion slowly flowed back into them, and it was not less than five hours until they finally collapsed on the floor.

Trunks was panting in fatigue, but satisfaction was clearly visible on his face. "Woo-hoo! I feel refreshed! Why did we even stop fighting in the first place?"

"That was great!" replied Goten who was sweating excessively. He felt good not only because his fondness for martial arts was rekindled, but also for having walked down a pleasant memory lane, recalling the long-gone times when he had sparred with Gohan in the woods in preparation for the World Martial Arts Tournament. However, his face suddenly became slightly serious. "But Trunks, I've been thinking…" he said, his voice unsure.

"What is it?"

"Can we really go Super? I mean, at this point of time, it's still a legend."

Trunks caught Goten's point and nodded in understanding. "Hmm… I see. You're right, Goten. Well, let's not transform. Besides, if we do it in front of my dad, he might find out of our heritage…" he stopped, attempting to make a wild guess on the dreadful repercussions if they did, "At this time, I guess he's too proud for his own good and would rather die than marry an earthling… if he finds out, heck, there goes my chance to be born in this timeline." He shuddered at the thought of this timeline's version of him not existing, and the mental image of his 'father' having a strange-looking wife—just like his uncle and aunt Tarble and Gure—didn't help one bit.

"But do you think we can beat Frieza without transforming, Trunks?"

"Hey, don't worry. He won't have any chance if we do. It's not gonna be fun!" he patted his friend on the shoulder, "That's why we have to keep training. So, wanna continue?"

Feeling encouraged by his best friend's words, Goten produced a wide grin which threatened to split his face in two. "Yeah! But… I'm hungry."

Trunks could feel a large drop of sweat run down his temple; he could've sworn, all Son boys were the same. Somehow, in their head, food took precedence over anything.

Without giving his friend an opportunity to react, the younger halfling quickly continued, "You know, there's a lot of food in the fridge. The last one to arrive is Hercule!" Without warning, he took off downstairs. The speed in which he did so was astonishing, and his departure left an afterimage of a spiky-haired boy sticking his tongue at the stupefied Trunks.

When everything finally registered in Trunks's mind, he hurriedly followed suit and hopped down the hole leading to the pantry. "Hey, that's against the rules!"

* * *

><p>"Hey, Goten, you awake?"<p>

"Mmm… I am now. What's up?"

According to the clock labelled 'Earth Time' on the wall, it was past midnight, and the two hybrids were lying on the bed which was actually wide enough to accommodate them. Although he had exhausted himself earlier that day, Trunks was having difficulty sleeping and had been tossing and turning for the past half an hour, but perhaps it was because he had drunk seven cups of coffee after dinner. 'Darn caffeine,' he thought inwardly. So, being a mischievous runt he was, he decided to drag Goten into accompanying him in his nocturnal ordeal.

"Remember the movie we watched yesterday?"

"That movie… with the black aliens?" rubbing his eyes, Goten asked back sleepily.

"Yup. They're called xenomorphs, by the way. I just realised…" he stopped, but a very mischievous smirk graced his lips. Being too somnolent, Goten didn't see it, though. "… aren't we… in their domain now? You know, being in outer space and stuff?"

Now the younger boy was fully awake. His fight-or-flight-or-freeze response had been triggered by the anticipation of a ghastly space monster breaking into the ship. "T-t-t-trunks… do you think… they will get us?"

"Well, it's not impossible… we're trespassing their territory, you see. Maybe one of them is creeping on the outer façade now…"

"Trunks! Stop it!" whimpered Goten. He buried his head on the pillow, facing away from the bedroom window.

The big bully found this extremely amusing and was having a hard time containing his laughter, but continued teasing the helpless youngster nonetheless. "I just hope the door's strong en—"

"Trunks! I SAID STOP!" Goten screamed. He was ready to smack Trunks on the face, but stopped when he saw him staring beyond his eyes as though there had been something behind him. Needless to say, the cowardly boy got extremely unnerved by this behaviour. "H-hey, Trunks… what's… what's wrong?"

"G-g-g-goten… on t-t-the window… b-b-be-behind you…"

Goten started shivering uncontrollably. He didn't want to look back, but at the same time something inside him forced him to do so. Unheeding of the popular saying "curiosity kills the cat", he slowly turned around to see what was it that Trunks saw… and when he was halfway there…

"Boo."

"WAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

It was only a whisper, but Goten's reaction was like he had seen a ghost or something worse. Trunks found it totally priceless in his eyes and he fell back onto the floor, succumbing to a violent paroxysm of insane, but genuine, laughter. His faint-hearted victim's face was buried on the same pillow as he struggled to catch his breath. He finally did, and he saw his friend rolling on the floor laughing his head off. It didn't take Goten long to put two and two together and figure out what had just happened, and a vicious scowl crossed his face.

Clearly unhappy of the entire situation, the poor boy repeatedly whacked Trunks's head with the pillow which had become soaked with his cold sweat and tears. Without waiting for him to react, Goten pounced at him while screaming at the top of his lungs. "That's not funny, you big bully! You know I don't like being laughed at! You're toast, Trunks! I mean it!"

The two ended up with Trunks fending off Goten's rage-fueled blows and desperately apologising to him, but to no avail. It seems they weren't going to get any sleep for the next two hours or until one of them was too beat up to move… and chances were that someone was going to be Trunks.

* * *

><p><em>Author's Note: In one of my stories, Just One More Step, an anonymous reviewer asked if this story has been discontinued. Don't worry, it hasn't! I'm not too fond of leaving a story unattended and unfinished. Updates may be slow because I'm having particularly cruddy days in office during the past week, haha… but they will keep coming and I assure you once again, what I have started, I will continue, and I will finish. Thanks!<em>


	4. Welcoming Ceremony

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Happy reading!_

* * *

><p>The journey to Namek was mostly uneventful with Trunks and Goten leveraging on their friendly rivalry in pitting against each other with renewed passion. Out of the five days of their trip, they would spend four days in rigorous training sessions in preparation for their mission, doing laundry, ravaging the fridge, and sleeping. Initially, revisiting their long-lost passion had been a thrilling experience, but the repetitiveness of their daily activities somehow watered down all the excitement. Eventually, at the end of the fourth day, they decided to dedicate the fifth and final day of their trip to loosen up and get some well-earned rest, since it would make little sense to force their way if dullness had kicked in. Besides, they had reacquainted themselves with almost every move and technique they had known as young tykes and even invented a few new ones, which Trunks figured was enough to take on Frieza.<p>

However, even after undergoing all those training sessions, Goten couldn't dismiss the fact that this would be his first time fighting a huge battle in years. On the contrary, the violent overthrow of the galactic tyrant seemed to have had Trunks all pumped up, perhaps thanks to his father's penchant for engaging in a challenging battle. Fear of the unknown had never crossed his mind even once, which might have contributed to his unheeding and reckless attitude, the very same traits that had brought them to where they were now.

Seeing his friend only poking at his food instead of satisfying his voracious Saiyan appetite, the child prodigy shuffled closer to him and tried to get him into mood again. Patting him playfully on the shoulder, he said, "Hey, why the long face, pal? C'mon, cheer up, we're almost there."

"Wh-what?" the younger preteen was surprised at Trunks's approach, a reaction which earned a strange look from the latter. It was evident that he had been disconnected from reality, but soon regained awareness nonetheless. "Oh, nothing… I was just thinking how strong Frieza really is."

Trunks just shrugged at the remark. "Well… to be honest, I bet he's not all that," replied Trunks nonchalantly. He knew, however, that Goten would quickly follow up by asking how sure he was of his wild guess, so he went further to elaborate on his rationale, "You see, when Uncle Tarble visited, he said Abo and Cado were as strong as Frieza himself. Remember what your dad said next?"

"Umm… that they were just perfect for us," replied Goten with slight hesitation. He knew where this was going. "But Gohan said Frieza transformed four times, and no one had ever seen beyond his first form. What if Abo and Cado were only as strong as that? And what if his next forms are more powerful and scary? And what—"

"You really like to worry yourself to death, dontcha?" Trunks swiftly interrupted the rambling boy who now had a visible pout on his face.

"I'm just being rational."

"Well, that's new. Last time I checked, your brain was only capable of processing thoughts about food."

"Hey!" the younger halfling snapped. Trunks had always excelled in coming back with sharp comebacks, and since Goten never liked being made fun of ever since he was a kid, he had never failed in getting the poor boy agitated with his crafty retorts.

"Just kidding," said Trunks while jovially slapping his best friend's back, "C'mon, you know better than that. Man, Goten, you should've seen the look your face. It's so funny."

Goten stuck out his tongue at Trunks and proceeded to finish his meal. Although sometimes they irritated him to no end, conversations with his annoying friend never failed to lighten up his mood despite the direness of the situation; why that was so, it was beyond him. His burden now lifted somewhat, he washed his hand clean, hovered upstairs to the bedroom, and lay down on the bed. Trunks followed soon after and took a seat at the edge of the bed.

Ennui struck again as the two young adventurers stayed in their respective positions for ten solid minutes, not bothering to budge even the slightest bit. Trunks was staring at the floor as though it had been the most interesting object in the world while Goten was lost in thought about something. It took another five minutes until the latter finally decided to break the silence by asking a somewhat strange request.

"Do you think you can give me a haircut?"

Needless to say, Trunks was surprised by his friend's desire to have a haircut. He knew why he had kept his current hairstyle for so long; it might have made him almost an exact replica of Goku, but it was also the exact reason: a tribute for the father he loved so much. However, Trunks couldn't fight back his curiosity as to why Goten suddenly settled on a radical decision and decided to find out. "I dunno… but why would you want one?" he asked.

"Well, uh… I think it's…" Goten hesitated. As much as he didn't want to part with the iconic hairstyle, he was concerned about all the possibilities and misunderstandings it might cause in their rendezvous with the Earth special forces—that was what the Z-fighters called themselves at the time—on Namek. "You know, it's like, um, my dad's…"

It didn't take much more for Trunks to understand the rationale behind the decision which totally made sense. He nodded and said, "Okay, I guess I can try…"

Goten radiated a bittersweet smile, but it was soon replaced with a frown. He suddenly remembered a not-so-pleasant memory about getting a haircut from a certain lilac-haired barber with a very ancient hairstyle himself—bowl cut, to be exact—around five years ago. They needed some strands of hair for their ultimate New Year's Eve prank, and after being bribed by Trunks with a brand-new, never-before-seen portable game console, Goten volunteered. Unfortunately for him, though, his friend didn't seem to fully understand the meaning of the word 'some'. The next thing he knew, he was standing face-to-face with his reflection in the mirror, aghast by the absence of three long spikes that had previously been on the left side; when everything finally registered in his mind, he screamed like a banshee and lunged at Trunks with all his might.

Knowing full well what was going on in his friend's head, Trunks let out a nervous laugh while rubbing the back of his head in a very Son-ish manner. "Uh, haha… I'll try my best not to mess up like last time."

"You better not."

And so they went into business. Armed with a pair of scissors from a toolbox conveniently located beneath the bed, Trunks—unlike last time—carefully navigated around Goten's mass of hair and very skilfully and precisely sheared here and there, exercising extra caution to make sure he didn't cut more than necessary.

* * *

><p>"Co-pilot, prepare for landing!"<p>

"Aye, aye, sir!"

At long last, the spacefarers finally made their final approach to Namek. They were so excited they pretended to be pilot and co-pilot flying an aircraft despite the ship being in full autopilot mode; in fact, all they did was just sitting in the control seats while watching the green letters and numbers on the monitor come and go. The co-pilot, who was taking his own sweet time enjoying a ham sandwich, was even more relaxed.

"Alright. According to the calculations, we're gonna enter the planet in… what the? THREE SECONDS?"

Before they could even fasten their seatbelts, the ship underwent a series of turbulence as it pierced through the planet's atmosphere. This caught the boys by surprise; Trunks got flung out of his seat and Goten fell on his back with his sandwich so gracefully making its landing on his face. On exactly the third second, there was a rough impact which was certainly a good—although not too gentle—sign. They had landed on solid ground, and planet Namek it was.

"Pilot, you stink! Why do we always have to land like that?" complained Goten as he stood up and brushed off crumbs of bread from his hair. Speaking of which, he was now donning a wild-cut hairstyle which looked very similar to that of Gohan during the Cell Games period. The barber had done an excellent job, and Goten liked his new look even better than the previous one. Maybe, just maybe, he would consider hiring Trunks as his personal hairdresser.

"Blame the autopilot system, not me…" Trunks groaned, but soon regained his calm and focused his attention on some details on the screen. "Atmospheric composition, 78-21 nitrogen-to-oxygen ratio… pressure, 101,000 pascals… gravitational acceleration, 10.4 metres per second squared… wow. This planet's very similar to earth in every sense." He then concluded it was safe to step out of the ship without donning spacesuit—not that there was any onboard anyway. "Physical damage, nothing to be concerned of. Okay, cabin crew, disengage door lock and commence disembarkation," he instructed.

"Sir!"

With a press of a button, the ship door opened, revealing to the Saiyans a whole new world to behold. Presented to them was a familiar-looking landscape, albeit with various hues of blue dominating the ground instead of green. Here and there they could see tall trees with round top, much like oversized hydrangea flowers. Far on the horizon a sun was making its setting, but there wasn't a single red or orange streak in the sky. When they looked up, they figured out why: another sun was still shining at the zenith. All in all, the scenery left Trunks and Goten speechless and awestruck, because it was not only very earth-like, but also very different at the same time.

"Woah…" Trunks stared wide-eyed at the majestic archipelago before him, "Wonderful, huh, Goten?"

"Yeah, very…" Goten agreed. It was his first time setting his feet on another world—not counting Grand Kai's planet when Kid Buu blew up the earth—and he was already rewarded a gorgeous vista. "It looks just like back home, isn't it?"

Trunks sat on the ground, plucked a blade of grass, studied it casually, and threw it into the air. "Yeah. Except I grew up knowing sky is blue and grass is green, not the other way around."

Goten lay down on the soft grass. "Not so bad, if you ask me."

"No way! That's like saying it's okay to have pink skin."

"It's a matter of preference, my friend. Can't I have my own opinion?" Goten sighed. Sometimes his friend could be so stubborn to the point of forcing others to accept things being done his way, which he found ridiculous at the very least. "Besides, Buu is pink, and there's nothing weird about it… except for his boing-boing body."

"That's because he's always been like that, dummy. Try picturing him with green skin, then."

"I think he'd look just like a chubby Picco—huh?"

Goten was cut mid-sentence by a drastic drop of someone's power level. That wasn't what caught his attention, though; it was how the energy signal resembled that of someone he knew. Trunks, too, had noticed it, as when Goten stood up and turned to his friend he found him looking into the distance, seemingly attempting to identify where the flux had originated from. Intrigued, both boys exchanged a glance, each sporting a confused face.

"Did you… feel that too, Trunks?"

Trunks nodded, verifying that the younger boy hadn't been imagining things. "Yeah… not too far away, seven o'clock. Whoever it was, I think he's toast."

A furrow formed between Goten's eyebrows as a wave of unpleasant feeling washed over him. Normally he would've dismissed it away for having interrupted him in his moment of repose, but for some reason it had awoken a battalion of butterflies in his stomach, making it impossible to ignore. "Who's that…?" he said to himself, "And why does it feel so familiar?"

"You know, let's just set up a capsule house and relax a—"

"IT CAN'T BE!"

Trunks was surprised by Goten's outburst. "What can't be?" he asked his horrified friend who was sweating like mad and clenching his teeth. Initially, the lilac head tilted his head in confusion, but after thinking hard to decipher the seriousness of the situation, he was finally able to put two and two together and recognise whom the energy signal belonged to. At this realisation, he stared at Goten, his mouth agape and eyes dilated. "It-it's… him, isn't it?" he stuttered.

The younger preteen gave a weak nod. As much as he didn't want to believe that particular thought in his mind, he knew more than anyone it was true. "Trunks, I saw a pouch of senzu beans down in the pantry. Hurry get it and catch up with me!" And just like that, he blasted off to the sky. Trunks didn't need to be told twice; he already knew time was of the utmost importance and promptly did as said.

* * *

><p>Goten flew as fast as he could manage and tried to dismiss a multitude of unpleasant hypotheticals raced across his mind. With his senses now heightened to pick up a certain energy signal which was rapidly diminishing, he could also detect a few others he hadn't been able to perceive before. There were four relatively strong people nearby; two seemed to be at rest, while two were fighting against each other since their power levels were fluctuating wildly. He was intrigued by the commotion and would like to check—perhaps one of them was Frieza—but there was a more important matter at hand right now.<p>

Moments after, Goten noticed yet another energy signal which was heading straight toward him with great speed from behind. Upon catching up, the owner of the fifth signal flew alongside him and gave a "hey".

"Not even a moment to relax and have fun. I've never seen a better welcoming ceremony," he said sarcastically.

"You have the beans with you?" asked Goten, who was replied by being shown a small brown pouch tied with a thin string. "Thanks, Trunks. Sorry for leaving like that, because—"

"Save it, I understand," Trunks interjected, "Now let's step on it."

"Mm-hmm."

The two Saiyan youngsters shot through the greenish Namekian sky in an uncomfortable silence. Would they, especially Goten, be able to deal with what had happened earlier? Who could possibly do such a thing to an innocent person like him? What if they arrived too late? The boys had been so lost in their minds they didn't realise having overshot the energy source for quite a distance, so they backtracked, slowed down, and heightened their senses even further to perceive the dissipating signal. To cover more ground, they split and searched independently.

Not quite prepared for the worst, Trunks let his thought roam again, this time thinking about the possible penalties if they screwed up again. This particular person they were about to save was supposed to have his own part in saving the world sometime in the future and carry on with him the legacy of Goku. Although Trunks have diverted the timeline so badly by compromising Goku's chance to become a Super Saiyan, that didn't make abandoning his only son at the time, Gohan, to death a right thing to do. For all he knew from Goten's stories about his elder brother, the little kid had a huge, untapped power which would aid him in his journey.

Being a loving brother he was, Gohan of their timeline used to tell the twin Saiyan terrors—when they were little tykes—about his tales every time Trunks slept over at Son residence on the outskirts of civilisation. He would speak non-stop about his faceoff with numerous villains before they were even born: Raditz, Frieza, Broly, Cell, and Bojack. Trunks himself had seen what Gohan was capable of; if not because of him, he and Goten wouldn't have survived their encounter with the so-called Legendary Super Saiyan, much less lasting long against Majin Buu. Reminded of the wondrous feats of the youngest single person ever to harness the power of the second Saiyan transformation, he knew they had to give it their all to protect the child come what may.

"Trunks, over here! Hurry!"

Trunks's train of thought was broken by the sound of his name. The panic present in the call was unmistakable; he quickly blasted off into the direction of the voice and found his friend standing as still as a stone statue.

Goten's gaze was fixed on a small figure lying on the ground in a very awkward position. He didn't have to be a physician to notice that something was terribly wrong, because never before in his life had he seen someone with blood smeared all over his body being okay. Not saying a single word, he then proceeded to slowly step forward, hoping to come to his brother's aid…

… but unfortunately, upon closer inspection, the severity of Gohan's injuries were beyond belief and made the young warrior feel his stomach churn violently.

The five-year-old, clad in purple martial arts uniform, lay helpless, breathless, and motionless. It was a nightmarish sight to behold which proved too much for him to handle: Gohan's eyes showed nothing but the sclera while he himself was all bloodied and battered, his clothes tattered, and—worst of all, which made Goten cringe in psychological pain and start shedding tears—his neck, as was almost every single bone in his body, broken. Despite his horrible state, Gohan's pulse was still present, albeit barely, a strong indication that he had been left for dead by his assailant. The weak pulse was more than enough to drive the "younger" brother to act as quickly and efficiently as possible.

"The senzu, Trunks!" he swiftly snatched the senzu pouch from Trunks's grasp, took one of only three beans, and shoved it into the child's mouth, "Here, Gohan. It should make you feel better."

"G-goten… he's…"

"Not now, Trunks."

"Is… he… s-still alive?"

"He is! Now shut up, will ya? I'm trying to get him to eat this thing!" Goten lashed out without shifting his attention from the task at hand, "… swallow the bean, Gohan. Please…"

And so he did, miraculously. In just a moment, the child stirred from his unconsciousness and gut-wrenching crackling noises made by bones snapping back to their place could be heard. He moved his arms and clutched the ground with his tiny but powerful hand, and slowly came into his senses, blinking several times to shove away his clouded vision. Thankful for the wonder brought about by the working of the miracle bean, Trunks and Goten sighed in relief as Gohan slowly recovered to full health.

"Go-um, kid! Are you okay?" Goten hugged his brother in his arms, vowing inwardly to protect this child at all costs.

"D-dad? Dad, you've come!" exclaimed the rejuvenated Gohan in excitement. When he saw Goten's face, however, his playful demeanour quickly dissipated and was instantly replaced with a look which seemed to be a mix of caution and fright. "Wh-what? You're not my dad! Who are you?"

Gohan broke free of the hug, leapt backward, and quickly readied himself in a defensive stance. One couldn't blame him, though; all the hostility he had seen and experienced on Namek had shaped him into a ragged, wary little warrior in a struggle for self-preservation. At this point Trunks and Goten were total strangers to him, and his overly cautious behaviour was only a natural response. The situation quickly turned awkward; now the two Saiyan preteens, unsure what to do or say, were locked in a faceoff with a Saiyan child, and fighting him was not even an option.

"We're in trouble, Trunks… lying to Gohan is never easy," whispered Goten to his friend. Their version of Gohan being too observant to be lied to was the reason, and fabricating stories had never been Goten's forte. He had been destined to never succeed in creating even one.

"Uh… there's gonna be a heck of a lot of explaining to do," Trunks rubbed his right temple with his index and middle fingers, "I hope you can keep up with me and not compromise our little lies."


	5. Perceptions, Observations, Suspicions

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Happy reading!_

* * *

><p>It took ten minutes of persuasion and a promise for five packs of Goten's favourite Pocky sticks—much to the sweet-toothed boy's chagrin, since five packs were all he had in his bookbag—to convince Gohan that Trunks and Goten had come in peace and get him to come with them. Besides, if they had been one of the adversaries, saving the five-year-old would be an outright nonsensical act.<p>

Initially, the plan was for the boys to assume false identities. However, being a talkative boy he was, Goten had already spewed up the truth about their names earlier, and unfortunately, the kid's acute hearing caught the details. "Your name's Goten? Wow, it's similar to mine and my dad's! I'm Gohan, and my dad's Goku," he said, introducing himself. Trunks was nowhere near pleased with this, of course, and he really had no choice but to go with their real names. Had it not been because of Goten's new haircut, their cover would have been blown.

The best excuse the boys could come up with was that they were cousins who had been undergoing intensive training for years, much like Gohan in his childhood with Piccolo, and were sent in place of Goku since his stay in the hospital had unexpectedly been extended due to excessive training while still being in full-body casts. Of course, the tyke didn't buy it at first; he always believed his father was the strongest in the world. How could a few broken bones impede his recovery so adversely? However, when Trunks pointed out that it had been the only reason—"Goku's a good guy. Why do you think he couldn't come to help?"—Gohan was forced to accept the "truth". Their allegiance with the Z-fighters also helped to explain how they had been able to heal Gohan with the senzu bean.

"Are you sure about this? Those things sound… kinda cheesy to me," Goten felt a drop of sweat rolling down his temple as he whispered to his best friend.

Trunks gave Goten a glare that somehow conveyed "Shut up!" to his mind. "If you can't think of a better idea, stay out of this. It's your fault I had to come up with these stupid excuses," he whispered back.

Goten just rubbed the back of his head and produced that sheepish grin only the Son boys could pull successfully. "Oops… hee-hee. Sorry about that."

"What are you guys talking about?"

"Huh?" said the duo in unison, dumbfounded. They had for a moment ignored the presence of Gohan who was in fact flying alongside them.

"You look tense. What's the matter?" the child asked again.

Goten was at loss of words. "Oh, uh… nothing, haha… we were just, um…" he stuttered, then shot a glance at Trunks while seemingly telepathically screaming for help.

"We were discussing what to do now," Trunks swiftly took over. He wouldn't simply let his partner-in-crime handle situations such as this one; everyone could tell if he was lying, simply because every time he did, he couldn't even form words properly. "Perhaps we should just take you to our spaceship and let you have some rest?"

"Mmm… okay…?" having caught a glimpse of Goten's peculiar behaviour, Gohan started eyeing them curiously; fortunately for them, he dismissed his suspicions. "But Vegeta might be in trouble, you know…"

The troublesome twins exchanged a look with one another. Even though they were aware of Vegeta's currently neutral disposition, Trunks very silently spoke to Goten and ordered him to act as though they had only been briefed on the Vegeta who had only come to earth for its Dragon Balls. And so they started playing dumb to trick him; the first step was to ask the most fundamental question: what did Gohan have to do with Vegeta?

"Well, you see… they say this Frieza guy is very strong…" Gohan started filling Trunks and Goten with the details, completely oblivious that it was actually unnecessary, "Probably it's not a lie. Even his people are strong."

After giving a sad sigh, Gohan continued. "I came here with dad's friends. We were in some kind of a mission, but… one of my friend was killed by Frieza's man…" trying to suppress the pangs of helplessness he felt deep down inside, Gohan's voice shook slightly, "I guess I went into a rage after that… and then after seeing me beat that guy, Vegeta said I might be useful and took me with him. He trained me, and—"

"Wait, Gohan. You said your friend was killed," his heart thumping violently, Trunks interjected, to which Gohan responded by nodding weakly. He desperately hoped to the guardian of earth or Namek at the time, whoever it might be, that said person wasn't his mother, or at least his mother-to-be. "It… it isn't mo—Bulma, is it?" he asked nervously.

Gohan perceived Trunks's unease and showed a hint of perplexity, but answered him nonetheless. Cruel as it might seem, Trunks felt like a heavy burden had been lifted from within upon knowing it was Krillin; he had no idea their arrival had changed the timeline this radically. He would've let out a huge sigh of relief—which would be extremely inappropriate—had he not noticed the crestfallen look on the child's face. Goten, too, noticed this; he flew closer toward his downcast brother and attempted to console him. The spiky-haired boy knew better than almost anyone else that even though outwardly he might appear all tough and determined, Gohan was always hiding a vulnerable side, let alone as a mere tyke.

"Gohan… sorry for that," said Goten gently.

The youngest of the three didn't respond, and they continued to fly in uncomfortable silence. There was no conversation, no eye contact, and the only sound they could hear was the sound of rushing air as they whizzed through the sky. It was awkward, but figuring he might still be in shock over the loss of his companion, Goten decided to leave Gohan at his current state. No one could blame the poor kid for being like this; seeing a friend get killed right in front of his eyes wasn't something that should ever befall a small child.

"… Krillin was dad's closest friend. He was a silly guy, but funny," Gohan finally spoke after a solid minute of silence, "Dad said they both had gone through good and bad. Once, he even said they were like brothers… and I now know why. Krillin would do anything to protect those he trusts, even if he had to give up his life… just like what he did to me. He saved me…" he narrated. Not knowing what to say, Goten could only look forward as he continued to listen to his brother. "That's why I have to fight harder… not only for me, but for them as well. I won't let Krillin's sacrifice be for nothing! They won't get away with this!"

Although Trunks was surprised by the sudden display of determination from this little child, it came as no amazement to Goten. He had heard stories from his father about how Gohan had defeated Cell in their timeline, and he saw with his own eyes how he had managed to mercilessly beat Majin Buu all by himself before he and Trunks fused into Gotenks only to be absorbed. That resolve—the very reason why Goten always looked up to his brother—had always been there all along, hidden deep within the steadfast young kid, waiting to be unleashed.

"That's the way, Gohan! We're gonna show them who the main characters are!" Goten pumped his fist in excitement, gaining a similar exclamation from Gohan. Trunks could only smile while shaking his head, amazed at how quickly those two could connect with each other. They were brothers, after all.

The tension between the three gradually dissipated into thin air as time went by. The next thing they knew, they were engaged in a passionate conversation regarding Gohan's agenda—which was all about Dragon Ball hunting to bring Piccolo back to life and, in turn, reactivate their earth counterparts—on this place so far away from home. Gohan also recounted to Trunks and Goten his training with Piccolo on the wasteland, the Saiyans' attack, and his mentor's noble sacrifice to protect him which prompted him to carry out this very mission. His dedication was just so amazing for a kid his age.

When they were in mid-conversation, however, they picked up several energy signatures nearby—four, to be exact. They seemed familiar to Goten, the reason being they were the same signals he had perceived earlier when he had been on the way to aid Gohan. There was a difference, though; this time, one was actually dropping to a dangerously low level, and when Trunks and Gohan also noticed the rapidly dwindling signal, they immediately identified the owner.

It was Vegeta.

* * *

><p>In no time Trunks, Goten, and Gohan arrived at just close enough distance from the scene of battle to see what the commotion was all about, all without being detected. They landed on an island where the energy signals were coming from, hid behind the rocks, and started observing the situation. From a distance it was quite hard to tell, but Vegeta had taken quite a beating, alright. He was facing off against some sort of a red-haired roughneck who somehow looked like he was deriving sadistic pleasure from tormenting his opponent.<p>

At the sight, Gohan instantly expressed irritation. "That big baddie is the one who beat me! Gosh, now Vegeta really is in trouble…" at this point he was filled with vengeance and was ready to take flight to come to the Saiyan-in-distress's aid, but faster than his eyes could notice, Trunks moved to just in front of him.

"Alright, here goes nothing!"

"Here goes… what?" before Goten could even blink, Trunks blasted off toward the battlefield without second thought. The brothers were left behind, eyes wide and mouth agape, perplexed at his ever-impulsive nature. "Ugh, not again… he's always like that, you know," Goten sighed.

Gohan was filled with bewilderment and horror and he pleaded, "B-but… he can get killed! We have to stop him!"

"Uh, no, we can't stop him, and he'll be okay… but yeah, we gotta follow him."

They proceeded to catch up with the lilac-haired prince in an attempt to restrain him, although of course they were rewarded with failure. Being a despicable party-crasher he was, Trunks was too excited to hold back and decided to do exactly just that: crash the party. He dove from the sky with a loud "Geronimo!" and planted his golden boot on the hooligan's gut before he could even notice—causing him to stagger backward, much to everyone's surprise.

"What the? Hey, who are you?" asked the man in a very idiotic-sounding voice as he struggled to regain his balance.

"Oops. I guess I crashed into the wrong party," Trunks rubbed his nose and stood haughtily between him and Vegeta, "But since I'm here, why don't we have a little fun? It's really lame picking a fight with someone who's helpless, you know."

Seeing his friend's crazy ingress, Goten couldn't help chuckling. With arms crossed and Gohan beside him, he descended from the sky and floated right beside Trunks. "There you go again… making a scene with your grand entrance. You really never think before leaping into action, do you?" he shook his head and clicked his tongue. Trunks just grinned.

Vegeta, who was on the brink of unconsciousness, gathered his energy and lifted up his head to see Gohan, the kid he had taken under his tutelage at most until he had fulfilled his vendetta against Frieza, side by side with another youngster. He was left wondering; Gohan had been left on the verge of death, so how could he have survived and recovered to full health that soon? However, when he caught a glimpse of the black-haired preteen whose face seemed very familiar in his mind, he was in for a bigger surprise.

"K-kakarot? Is… that you?" he called out, briefly gaining Goten's attention. Before he turned away from him, Vegeta realised his mistake; a purebred Saiyan's hair would never change, and besides, if it had been the Kakarot he knew in the first place, how could he have regressed into a less mature state?

Vegeta wasn't in the mood to have his mind jogged, however, and since this interference created an opportunity for him to get a much-needed break, that was exactly what he was going to do. He secretly hoped although they looked weak, the children would be able to stall the fight until he had made some recovery and was ready to return into action. In the meantime, he prepared himself to watch this freak show of a man plough his way through the clueless spoilsports.

"Hey, jerk!"

"Oh, hi, little child! So you're still alive?" hollered the hulking giant to Gohan before turning his attention to Trunks, "Don't worry, after I kill this boy I'll kill you too!"

"You big bully! You won't get away with th—ow! Hey!"

"No! Don't go, Gohan!" Goten tugged on Gohan's arm, causing the child to struggle to free himself. He might possess an explosive power, but at this point it was still untapped and was more of a gimmick. Goten of course wouldn't allow Gohan to charge on impulse into a battle he wasn't sure he could win, and only after the child had calmed down he loosened his grip.

"I don't want you to run into trouble…" said Gohan plaintively.

"Actually, thanks to him, we just did," Goten made a funny pouting face at Trunks which Gohan found amusing, "Plus, we're here to help, and I guess you'll need all the help you can get. Don't worry, squirt, he'll beat him for you," he smiled inwardly for having used the pet name given by his real brother, "He's THAT strong, trust me. Just watch."

And so they watched. Gohan was struck with awe and wonder as his newfound friend dodged every single punch, kick, headbutt, and energy blast thrown by his opponent. Trunks was toying around with the very same man who had almost killed Gohan and beaten Vegeta to a pulp as he abused his Afterimage technique, a sight that successfully bewildered everyone present there except Goten.

"He's… so fast…" muttered Gohan. He earned a nod of approval from his uninterested brother.

The playful boy decided to up the difficulty level by taunting his foe, who fell for it and shot an enormous energy beam from his mouth. Trunks casually swatted it aside like a rotten tomato flying his way, prompting a wide-eyed "AWESOME!" from Gohan and applause from Goten. This man proved no challenge to him and finally, after getting bored playing, he launched his first, only, and final attack after his so-called grand entrance to the organic golem's nape, knocking him unconscious. It came as a total shocker to Vegeta and the blue- and red-skinned mutants who were spectating from the sidelines.

"Ya-ta," raising his right hand in the air, Trunks mumbled unenthusiastically as he strolled back to join his friends.

"The finale wasn't fun!" protested Goten, "I thought you were gonna do more than that."

"Nah… HE wasn't fun, Goten. Not worth the effort."

"I was hoping you could spare him for me, because after seeing you fight I wanna try warming up too."

"Well, is it my fault that you didn't say it?"

Seeing one of the most feared fighters in the universe defeated by a mere child with little to no effort, Vegeta was filled with anger and envy and his ego started to falter. He, with royal blood of the Saiyans coursing through his veins, was surpassed in terms of skill and strength by a stranger who came out of nowhere? Now that was insult at its best. To prove to the world that he was still the number one, Vegeta then prepared himself for the next round of fight although he hadn't completely recovered, but stopped upon noticing the lilac-haired child walking toward him.

"Hey. You look terrible," greeted Trunks. He was careful to hide his emotions so as not to look suspicious in Vegeta's eyes.

"What do you want? Move aside! I have better things to do," the proud prince growled in exasperation.

"Such as?"

"Taking out those two! Now move!"

"I don't think one-on-two is a good idea…"

"Shut your mouth, kid," he ordered, but was replied by being handed a brownish green bean. Puzzled, he studied the bean carefully. Was he expected to eat it? For all he knew it might well be a poisonous substance. "What's this?"

"Just eat. It'll make you feel better."

"What? Do you expect me to trust you? I don't even know you!"

"Man, you're a stubborn one, arentcha? The same old story…" Trunks sighed, "Look, we gave Gohan the same bean, that's why he recovered from near-death if you're wondering. It was also him who asked me to give this to you. Now eat, for your own good, and that's that."

With no other options available, Vegeta was forced to eat it although being told like that really maimed his over-the-roof ego, let alone by a brat. "Gah, fine. But if it turned out to be poisonous or something, I'll make sure to kill you before I die so I can kill you again in the Other World," he said before swallowing the bean. Trunks giggled at his father's crude sense of humour but was unfazed nonetheless, because he knew it wasn't going to happen.

Almost immediately after consuming the wonder medicine, Vegeta felt his energy rush back into his body, all traces of pain and fatigue disappearing completely. He marvelled at how quickly all bruises and cuts on his body healed up. 'Amazing… what kind of drug is this? It's even more powerful than the regeneration tank,' he thought.

"Told you it works," Trunks casually said, "Try not to get hurt too badly again, because we only have one left." He then left his awestruck father and proceeded to join the Son brothers again.

"So didcha give him the bean?" asked Goten.

"Yup. It took some persuasion, though."

"Yeah, I figured. He's just too proud, isn't he?"

"Tell me about it."

"Hey, Goten… Trunks…" Gohan didn't know what the best friends were talking about, but he needed to remind them of something more important, "Those two don't seem to look… happy. What are we gonna do now?" he said, pointing to a certain pair of people.

"Why, them?" Goten turned to the direction his brother was pointing on to see two battle armour-clad mutants who were clearly fuming with rage. Feeling up for some mischievous fun, he produced a sincere yet impish smile. "We just have to beat them! Isn't that right, Trunks?"

"Yeah!" replied the child prodigy in excitement.

"Hey, you there! Are you done with your talk? You're fighting us next!" shouted the blue-skinned fish-like person, if he could even be referred to as a person.

"Looks like the bad guys are getting impatient. Shall we show them our moves, Goten?"

"Oh, alright."

How Trunks and Goten treated the whole affair like a simple game was beyond Gohan, and just like others, he probably wouldn't ever understand whatever could be brewing in the twin troublemakers' brains. "W-wait, guys! You can't be serious, right? They're dangerous, what if they get you? At least let me help you!"

"Don't worry! You saw Trunks defeat the big guy just now, didntcha?" came the nonchalant reply from Goten, "We're doing this for you too, Gohan."

"Huh? For me?"

"You have a wish to make to the Eternal Dragon, right?"

"Uh-huh…"

"Here's the plan," Trunks approached Gohan, knelt beside him, and whispered carefully, "We'll fight them, and while we do… you just focus on finding Dende. The Dragon Balls here are just like the ones back on earth. They need some kind of a password and it's in their language, so he's the only chance you have to summon the Dragon. Got it?"

"Huh? What… how… do you know that, Trunks?"

"Hee-hee. Trust us, it'll work!" said Goten while playfully patting Gohan's back. Every time he relayed to this little kid what the Gohan of his timeline had done to him before, a warm feeling rushed through his body, reminding him of the brother he loved so much. "Oh, by the way, you should get the Dragon Radar from Auntie Bulma to help you locate the balls more easily."

The youngest stood in silence, seemingly weighing the pros and cons between staying to help and leaving for Dende. It was almost fifteen seconds before he finally agreed to Trunks's proposition. "Alright. I'll do my best," he said, determination filling his voice.

Goten smiled and wished him luck. "You fly it fast, and get back safe, okay?"

"Yeah. You too."

* * *

><p>As he flew through the vast expanse of Namekian plains and archipelago, Gohan's thoughts ran wild in his head. Being a ridiculously perceptive boy he was, he had made observations during his time with Trunks and Goten—without being busted, of course. He could've sworn Trunks almost let out "mom" when speaking about Bulma, and back when he was still unconscious he could hear Goten's voice calling his name. How was it possible? And speaking about Goten, what was it that made him feel safe around him? And finally, their prior knowledge about Namekian Dragon Balls; it was just too impeccable, uncannily so, enough to raise Gohan's suspicions.<p>

'It was really strange… I'm sure I haven't mentioned anything about Dende, and Goten knew Bulma has a radar,' Gohan said inwardly, 'Just… who are they really?'


	6. Clarion Call

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Happy reading!_

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><p>"You fly it fast, and get back safe, okay?" said Goten before sending his brother on his quest. He then flashed him the thumbs up.<p>

"Yeah. You too," replied Gohan.

With that, he propelled himself to the sky. There were some people who weren't pleased at all with this turn of events, though. "Hold it, you!" exclaimed the red-skinned mutant who was more human-like in appearance than his partner. They then planned to blast off onto the sky, intent on stopping the runaway kid, but before they could even think of flying away, with blinding speed—much to the blue fish-man's envy—Trunks and Goten suddenly phased into being right in front of them and stopped them from going anywhere.

"Ah-ah-ah. Not so fast," Trunks waved his index finger left and right like a metronome and spoke in a very condescending tone, "You think you can just gang up against one opponent? That's against the rules."

"Yeah, that's not fair! Fight us one by one!" Goten joined his friend in taunting their opponents while pumping his fist in excitement. The desire to fight had almost overridden his rational thinking he forgot his no-jumping-into-action-recklessly policy.

The fish-man was starting to grow vexed for being relentlessly mocked by common strangers. First he was hit smack dab in the face by their confounding speed, and now they were verbally assaulted? He wouldn't want to find out what was next. "You are just fools… do you really think you stand a chance against us? Hey, Jeice!" he then turned to his white-haired partner, "What are these two's power levels?"

"Their power levels are barely fifteen hundred, Burter, not even five percent of ours! They're just little pieces of trash!" replied the one called Jeice with a heavily accented voice, "Heh heh… brat, you just lucked out against Recoome. You won't stand a chance against us!"

"That's a scouter, huh? I'm warning you, there's more than meets the eye," Trunks grinned smugly.

"If fifteen hundred is not even five percent, then yours is at least… mmm… times twenty…" the younger hybrid did a quick mental calculation. After finding the solution which was clearly over the most interesting number known to man, he turned to his partner and gave him a cue with a roguish glimmer in his eyes. "Hey Trunks, what does your scouter say about his power level?"

Trunks was quick to catch Goten's flow. "It's over nine thousaaaand! Rahhh!" he replied dramatically, making a crushing gesture with his hand.

"What, nine thousand? That's impossible! That piece of junk must be broken!"

"Yeah, just like us. We're way too overpowered for these guys."

The hybrids couldn't resist succumbing to a fit of insane laughter at their little theatrical performance. From a distance, Vegeta was watching them laughing in glee, and thanks to his Saiyan hearing he was aware of what they had been talking about. How could they have known about that embarrassing moment leading to his loss to a mere third-class clown? As far as he could remember, the only ones alive at that point of time had been himself, Nappa, Kakarot, Gohan, and Krillin. Something was off about these strangers, alright, but for now he would just stand back and entertain his sadistic side by watching Burter and Jeice pummel them to kingdom come. But who knows, seeing what they had done to Recoome, the boys might be able to manage to land some hits to weaken them enough. At any rate, he would be the one to deal the finishing blow—or so he thought.

"Will you stop that, little rats? No one, and I mean no single soul, makes fun of the mighty Ginyu Force!" Jeice was steaming red with anger, although it wasn't exactly easy to tell since his face was already red in the first place.

"Trunks, what's a Cow Milk Force?"

There was really no telling whether Goten really confused the two words or he was doing it in purpose to annoy his opponent. Whatever it was, it proved to be the final straw; unable to take further insults, Burter burst out in indignation. "That's Ginyu, not gyuunyuu! Enough of this, now get ready!"

"Yeah, we're ready. Why don't YOU get ready?" Trunks grinned mockingly.

Not needing to be told twice, Burter first hissed, pulled off complicated moves reminiscent of capoeira, and finally stood on one foot with his hands fully outstretched to the side. "Feel the wrath of the Blue Hurricane! Burter!"

Jeice then joined his partner in the fighting pose. He bent forward and let his mess of white hair cover his face, flexed his right knee, and raised his right hand high up in the air. "And the good-looking Red Magma! I'm Jeice!"

Having always been a sucker for superhero entries, Goten jumped up and down in childish glee, all while repeatedly screaming the words "cool" and its synonyms. His fascination with such flashy stuffs could be credited to Gohan who had introduced him to several action superheroes in TV shows during his childhood, and sometimes he would execute strange poses in front of the mirror in his bedroom when alone in the house. Goku once caught him doing this—complete with oversized helmet and cape usually donned by Gohan whenever he needed to assume his other persona—and laughed his heart out in genuine amusement; Goten wasn't exactly pleased with his father's reaction and would impose an embargo on every kind of communication with him for the rest of the day before being bribed with a fridge's worth of food.

"Uh… Goten," Trunks poked at Goten's shoulder in an attempt to bring him back to reality, "Even the Great Saiyaman is not as lame as them…"

"Hey! Don't talk bad about my brother!"

"Yeah, yeah. I bet he got his outfit from a gas station—ow!"

Courtesy of his loudmouth, Trunks received a weak energy blast on the back his head from his friend who was less than amused. "For the record, your mom made that outfit for him. So you're saying your house is a gas station?" he retorted. It was intended to be sarcastically intimidating but he blew it; he couldn't contain his giggle at the thought of Trunks sleeping by a gas pump.

"Hey, I was just kidding… whydcha always take things seriously? You could've burned my hair…" he said while rubbing the now warm area of his skull, "Oh well, whatever… let's just get down to business. There are two ways of doing this: the quick way, or the fun way. Which one do you prefer?"

"The fun way. We need to buy time for Gohan, remember?"

"The fun way it is, then."

And so both tag teams dashed toward each other, commencing a battle whose result had been determined long before it began. Judging from how Trunks and Goten effortlessly dodged and blocked every blow thrown by Burter and Jeice, one didn't have to be a genius to notice how heavily skewed toward the two Saiyan youngsters the battle was. They weren't even fighting in five percent of their full power, a total irony to Jeice's statement earlier. Even the mutants' signature move, Purple Comet, couldn't even singe their clothes; they retaliated with an impromptu attack tailored to satirise the failed team attack which they dubbed Dark Magenta Meteorite—the first two words being the combination of their hair colours and the third one a literally more impactful space object than a lowly comet.

Vegeta watched the fight in total bewilderment. If they could stand their ground against members of the Ginyu Force whose power levels averaged forty thousand, how much power did they really possess in those immature minds and body of theirs? At this rate he wouldn't even get a chance to fight, but what would he be fighting for anyway? His pride? It had almost been shattered to tiny morsels—he wouldn't admit it in his life, of course—after seeing them in action.

The boys were clearly out of his league, and yet they seemed to be still toying around with Burter and Jeice—"Gee, if you call yourself a speed demon, I must be a speed god. Wawawaah! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you! Why so blue?"—and were actually deriving fun from their opponents' helplessness. Even Vegeta didn't need a scouter to tell they had been hiding their power levels. How could they have possessed such incredible fighting skill? 'They can't possibly be… Saiyans, can they?' he asked himself, but was quickly corrected by his own mind, 'No, that's impossible… I don't see their tails. And a Saiyan's hair is either black or brown, not some sick-looking colour like that of one of them!'

Finally realising fate hadn't wanted them to win this battle, Jeice resorted to his final recourse: distress call. He could only hope his commander could manage to arrive before they meet their ends in the hands of bratty children. "C-captain Ginyu! W-we have… a situation here!" he said through his scouter.

"Not fair! You're calling for help!" Goten pumped his fist in protest.

"Heh! Life's unfair, kid, deal with it! He's on his way already!" Burter countered, "Too bad Lord Frieza is off somewhere. If he were, he would surely come along and vaporise you himself!"

Did he hear it right? They asked Ginyu—who was supposed to guard the Dragon Balls back in Frieza's spaceship—to come to their aid, and Frieza wasn't with him? Vegeta assembled together the pieces of puzzle in his mind and quickly concluded that the stash would only be guarded by small fries which he could very easily dispose of with only a flick of his pinkie if he so wanted. Never mind the kids he had no business with, let them have their way. Ultimate strength was now within his grasp and there was no stopping him from taking off toward the abandoned spaceship.

But poor him. It was a shame he flew away without knowing the special conditions of having his wish granted; he was too busy marvelling at how the senzu bean had worked wonders when Gohan was briefed about the requirements to summon the Eternal Dragon. From the beginning he hadn't been slated to be the strongest warrior in the universe.

Vegeta's sudden departure distracted Trunks and Goten and they were left wondering what he was up to. Seeing this, the two Ginyu underlings attempted to seize the opportunity to blast off to the sky and escape with their dear lives…

… except that the two playful demons weren't about to let them. Quick as a flash, they again materialised in front of them, à la Instant Transmission, triggering a spark of jealous rage deep down inside the blue mutant. There, in the air, stood Trunks, smirking in a Vegeta-ish style, and Goten, staring nonchalantly.

"Hey! Let's fight some more!"

"Looks like they're tired of playing. Well then, let's finish this, Goten."

Burter and Jeice's implored for mercy but their effort was in vain. The best friends then proceeded to bombard the helpless mutants with a somewhat overpowered salvo of countless energy blasts, creating explosions and sending dust and pieces of rock flying to all directions. The force was even felt by Gohan who was at least a quarter of a planet away from Trunks and Goten by now.

When the debris finally cleared from the air, the raven-haired boy was greatly in shock upon seeing his adversaries crash onto the ground. Horror daubed across his face, he landed by the remains and secretly hoped they were at least still breathing, but no. He poked the bodies with his finger to get any response, but no. He threw pieces of rock to see if they would react, but no. They were in every sense dead.

Trunks, finding his friend's antics amusing, hovered in the air just beside him. "What are you doing?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Uh, are they… dead, Trunks?"

"Whydcha even ask? Of course they are! They should've returned to dust and scattered to the wind."

Convinced by Trunks's statement, Goten started freaking out. "Waaah! No! We overdid it!"

"Wh-what… do you mean, Goten?"

"I didn't think the blast would be that strong! I don't wanna go to hell for killing people! What if there are ghosts and scary monsters down there? I'm scared! I don't like monsters! You'll be coming with me, right? Because you also killed them! I don't wanna—"

"Shut it, you dummy!" Trunks interjected in exasperation at his younger counterpart's sometimes insufferable seven-year-old naïveté despite almost being a teenager, "Remember what Gohan told us? 'It is not a sin to fight for the good cause,' he said. Plus, when he was our age, he'd killed more people than us combined! And heck, you've killed Broly before, so deal with it!"

That was all it took to assuage Goten. He remembered that time when he went to a remote village in the mountains with Trunks and Videl to search for Dragon Balls only to encounter the Super Saiyan who kept referring to him as Kakarot—at that time the word was a stranger to him; he thought it was some kind of a vegetable, but now he knew it was his father's Saiyan name. Broly turned out to be too strong for them to handle, and with Trunks knocked out Goten had no choice but to shoot a Kamehameha wave toward him alongside his brother. With the help of their father's spirit, they managed to blast Broly all the way to—scratch that, THROUGH—the sun, essentially killing him. How the sun still managed to shine remained a mystery to everyone.

"Oh yeah, hehehe… I remember now. So I guess it's okay, huh, Trunks?" he grinned that famous sheepish smile exclusive to his family.

"I swear, you're such a toddler sometimes," the brighter of the two sweatdropped, "Now c'mon! Let's just catch up with Gohan."

Goten nodded, and into the distance they blasted off to join the little warrior.

* * *

><p>Gohan pressed the power switch of the gadget on his hand. It turned on, and on its green display seven dots could be seen blinking, indicating the location of the Dragon Balls relative to his current position. It was such a marvel, he thought, how Bulma managed to come up with the idea of a Dragon Ball locator like this, since it conveniently reduced their efforts of finding the balls by a lot. When he grew up, he'd like so much to be a great scholar so he could contribute to the world as much as—if not more than—Bulma had.<p>

To his delight, all seven dots on the radar were clumped together, meaning all the Dragon Balls had already been collected. The only thing he needed to do now was fetch Dende to summon the Eternal Dragon out of them. Finally, after a long period of wait, his mentor, who was also his first and true friend, could be wished back to life.

Gohan couldn't help but shed a tear upon remembering the days following his father's death when Piccolo took him under his wing to train him in preparation for the Saiyans' attack. During that long, gruelling year, he had developed a bond with his mentor. He always knew deep down inside, although he seemed harsh to him, Piccolo had also experienced a change of heart thanks to Gohan's bright and cheerful nature. He would hide it from him, of course, but it was finally brought to the light of day when he made his noble sacrifice to save him from Nappa. Now, in honour of him, Gohan took it under his responsibility to bring him back to the land of the living.

Having been lost in memories of the past, he didn't realise he had overshot Guru's abode by quite a distance, so he backtracked and carefully made his landing on a high-rise rock pinnacle where a white hut stood majestically. He first made sure nothing was off before asking for permission to enter the abode, which he was granted. Nail came and greeted him, asked him what his re-visit was for, and—after a quick explanation from Gohan—took him upstairs to see Guru. Just like his previous drop-in, the wise elder read his mind and was surprised upon learning about earthlings who possessed prior knowledge about the conditions to summon Namekian Dragon.

"I see…" said Guru with a voice laden with gentle authority, "I know nothing of these youngsters or where they have learned about our Dragon Balls, little one, but they are most correct."

"So, does this mean I can take Dende with me?" asked Gohan.

"Certainly, if you want to have that wish of yours granted, you will need to. Do you know where the balls are?"

"Yes… it seems they have been gathered together in one place."

"Ah, most convenient. Well then, Dende…" the grand elder then turned to his youngest offspring, "My son, come here for a second."

Dende complied and stood before Guru who placed his hand on his head. A yellow light engulfed the kid Namekian as his latent power was awakened. "I have unlocked the potential hidden deep within you. You can now use that power to heal your friends," explained Guru, "Now go… I'm afraid someone with evil intentions is heading right this way."

Gohan was shocked at this revelation. Who could it be, and what could he possibly want here? However, being a smart kid he was, he quickly found the answer for his latter question: none other than a wish making-related affair. That would mean it was someone with Dragon Balls in his possession. Could it be that purple-skinned alien called Captain Ginyu? Or could it be Vegeta, since he had been itching to be the universe's strongest? There was only one way to find out; he carefully extended his energy to identify the owner of the energy signal. When he did find out, though, he became visibly distraught and stood still in horror.

"What is it, Gohan?"

"Dende, I… I've never felt so much power before…" the young hybrid stuttered, "I've never seen him before, but this is… Frieza. I'm positive. His power level is just… ridiculous. He's coming here, and fast…"

Hearing this, Dende too joined Gohan in his fear. Not only for his safety, mind you, but for Guru's as well. The wise elder would rather die than reveal the secrets to unlocking the Dragon Balls' wish-granting power to such an evil being, and if by any chance he passed away before they could even reach the place where the balls were, Gohan's efforts of coming all the way here would be in vain. To wage a race against time to the balls and do it as quickly as possible was the most sensible thing to do, but he wasn't at all fond of the idea of leaving his elder unattended in times of danger like this.

Sensing his young's emotional turmoil, Guru attempted to console him. "Don't worry about me. Nail is here to protect me, and hopefully he will be able to buy you some time. You need to go, and promise me… that you will aid Gohan in his mission."

"The elder's right, brother," the warrior Namekian asserted, "I'll keep watch over here. I won't let anyone hurt him, even if it costs me my own life."

"Nail… I…" Dende hesitated for a while before Gohan put his hand on his shoulder, giving him strength and affirmation, "Okay, then. Gohan, let's go. We don't have much time. And elder…" he then turned to Guru, "Thank you for everything. Please, stay strong."

"Elder Guru, thanks for your help," Gohan politely expressed his gratitude, "And Nail, I dunno what to say, but… good luck."

"Thanks, Gohan. You're a very nice boy, it's been great knowing you. Now go before Frieza arrives. I'll stall him for you as long as I can."

The Piccolo look-alike took Gohan and Dende downstairs and wished them luck. Before they departed, he proposed that they take a detour to avoid being detected by the space emperor, a suggestion which was met with the kids' approval. After bidding what was probably a final farewell to his brother and watching them blast away into the distance, Nail then stood bravely on the front porch of Guru's abode and prepared himself for the battle of a lifetime: a battle where his victory existed only in the realm of dreams.

* * *

><p><em>Post-note: As with many names in the original series, Ginyu is a pun. In this case, it is derived from gyuunyuu, which literally translates into cow milk.<em>


	7. Bootstrap

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Happy reading!_

* * *

><p>"Your plan is to wish your friend Piccolo back to life?"<p>

"Yeah, so our Dragon Balls will reactivate. Can the Dragon do that?"

"I'm sure he can. So he's a Namekian too, huh? He made the Dragon Balls?"

"Um… no. Kami, our guardian, did. But dad said those two had been one long ago… so if one dies, the other does too."

"Oh, I get it now. So because Piccolo died, Kami died with him… and so did the Dragon."

"Uh-huh…"

"Do you have other wishes?"

"Yeah, I have some… but then, our Dragon Balls won't activate until the next time we summon your Dragon."

"What do you mean?"

Dende's question came as a surprise to Gohan. What did he mean, "what do you mean"? Confused, he asked the same question to his friend, and his answer shocked Gohan even more. It turned out the Namekian Dragon, Porunga, could grant up to three wishes, but each revival will count as one wish. Dende even went as far as elaborating how Namekian year was roughly one-third of terrestrial year, which meant the Dragon Balls' refractory period was thrice as short as their earth counterpart.

"That's awesome! I heard the earth's Dragon can only grant one… wow! This is great! Hee hee!"

"Yeah, ours is quite generous. I guess your Dragon is… kinda stingy," replied Dende, who managed to provoke a brief fit of giggle. After their chuckles had died down, the kid Namekian once again asked Gohan if he had other wishes to be made.

"Hmm…" Gohan carefully weighed the priorities of his wishes before coming up with two of them. The last thing he wanted was to make the wrong wish and waste his time and effort. Then, all of a sudden, a light bulb went off in his head. "I know! We can ask the Dragon to heal my dad and then bring him here! He'll beat Frieza for sure!"

"Your dad? Is he strong?"

"Yeah! You see…"

Gohan then proceeded to recount every tale he had heard about what his father had done in the past as well as his extraordinary feat which he had seen with his own eyes. From the way he narrated his stories, it was evident that not only the halfling saw Goku as a father figure, but also as the greatest warrior and protector of the world, a perception which probably had started to gradually infuse within him a penchant for superheroes in the future. This trait would eventually be passed on to his baby brother.

Hearing Gohan's narration about his father, a ray of hope sparked in Dende's heart. Maybe Gohan's wishes were a good idea after all; first, the earth's set of balls would be recovered, and then they got to transport this great hero who was his dad to Namek to end the tyrant's reign of terror. It was like killing many birds with one stone.

However, he couldn't contain his curiosity about what Gohan had gone through since having his potential unlocked by Guru, especially after his mention of two seemingly omniscient earthling youngsters. "Who are these guys Guru said they're right? And what are they right about?" he asked.

Gohan himself was unsure how to answer his inquiry. "Gosh, I wish I know, Dende…" he thought hard to make it easy for his friend to understand, "But it's because of them why I visited Guru's to get you."

"Huh? Y-you mean…"

"Yeah… they already know."

Dende, as much as Gohan did, found this discovery surprising. According to his older brothers' stories, their Dragon Balls had been strictly for their own use, and there hadn't been a single case in the past where a visitor from another world had asked for their aid; for all intents and purposes, Gohan was the first to do that. How come someone not native to this planet had prior knowledge about confidential matters such as this one? "Do you have any idea who they are?"

"Not really, no," Gohan shook his head, "I only know their names, Goten and Trunks, and that they're strong. Well, at least Trunks is. But I've been having the strangest thoughts about them ever since I first met them."

"Such as?"

"Hmm… it's this Goten guy. After fighting one of Frieza's man, I could only remember everything got black. I guess he beat me," he began. Dende slightly flinched upon learning about Gohan's defeat and asked him if he was alright now, and let out a relieved sigh when he said he was completely fine. "Yeah, it was thanks to him that I recovered… he gave me a senzu bean. It's some sort of a medicine grown on a tower below Kami's palace… that's what dad said."

"Anyway, back to the story," he continued, "I swear, when I woke up, I saw dad. I dunno why, but he feels just like dad. He didn't look like him, but how else could I have mistaken someone else with dad? And I know I just met him, but somehow when he was around, I felt safe. He also seemed to care a lot for me. After I was healed, he hugged me. Then later, he didn't let me fight against that big guy who beat me. And now, he and Trunks are fighting that jerk's friends to buy time for me to get you. I hope they're okay…"

Silence followed. Dende did have some thought about who these guys might be, but was unsure of it himself. Only after flying in silence for two minutes he finally asked, "Do you think he might be your big brother?"

Gohan was surprised at Dende's hypothesis. "Huh? No way! Dad or mom never mentioned about me having a brother! W-why do you think so?"

"Well, you said he feels just like your dad, and he did all those nice things for you," the kid Namekian elaborated, "I guess it's an emotional bond. Nail and I have this kind of a bond, too, you know. I can't think of any other reason. Can you?"

A brother, huh? Never before had the thought of having a sibling crossed Gohan's mind, but what Dende said actually made sense and was now clinging ruthlessly to his mind, refusing to be shaken off. Otherwise, how could he have confused Goten with his father? But being an absurdly logical little tyke he was, his head quickly took over: he was only five while his parents were twenty-five, which meant they had him when they were twenty. According to his observations Goten was at least ten years old now, and that would make his parents being at most fifteen when he was born! That was ridiculous. There was no way Goten could be his brother.

But wait. What about the fact that Trunks and Goten knew about something which had been exclusive to the Namekians? How was it possible that Goten already knew Gohan's name before he even introduced himself? Well, the latter could be easily explained; perhaps whoever sent them here had had them briefed beforehand, but what about the former? Practically it was impossible since in the past and at present there had been no non-Namekians except for him upon whom that knowledge was bestowed. Except…

'Wait, wait, wait… I've read about it in that book mom gave me…' said Gohan to himself when something suddenly clicked in his head, 'Trunks and Goten already had something which isn't supposed to exist yet. It's called bootstrap paradox in the book… but I forget how it works. I think it has something to—hold on a second.' Realisation started to dawn on him as his mind went through the pages of the normally nonsensical book for someone his age, 'Oh my goodness. If that's true, then… it's possible that…'

"Gohan? Are you okay?"

"Huh?" Gohan gasped as his train of thought was broken, "Oh, um, nothing, I'm—"

"HEY! GOHAN! OVER HERE!"

Before he could finish his sentence, Gohan was interjected by a shout from a distance. When they looked at the direction where it originated from, they could see figures of two youngsters hovering in the air; one—who brought some kind of a bookbag slung over one shoulder—was waving his hands fervently while the other stood totally still, arms across his chest. Speak of the devil: there they were, Trunks and Goten.

The kid was clearly flabbergasted at the speed at which his newfound friends had taken care of the Ginyu underlings. "Y-you've beaten those guys already?" he couldn't hide his amazement screamed out by the look on his face.

"Yup. No sweat," came the nonchalant reply from Trunks.

"Yeah! They were no fun, though… they tried to escape in the middle of the fight!" Goten joined.

It was a comical moment when Gohan could feel a huge drop of sweat running down his temple. Seriously, though, it was beyond his comprehension how Trunks and Goten actually enjoyed the whole affair as though it had been a simple game. Nevertheless, he was more than pleased that they were able to make it out of the whole deal safe and sound, although he for the life of him could never fully understand how it was possible for people to derive entertainment from battle.

Now that all members of their little squad had gathered together, Gohan introduced Dende to Trunks and Goten and vice versa. Little did he know that they had even seen the teenaged version of this particular Namekian, and that he would eventually replace Kami as the guardian of earth; at least that was how things had progressed in their timeline. After a round of introduction, Gohan briefed them all on where the Dragon Balls were according to the radar, the wish he was going to make, and the path forward.

The briefing ended with a short recapitulation after which Gohan was extremely raring to go. He couldn't get any more thrilled than this; the thought of finally reviving Piccolo and bringing his dad over here. Out of excitement, he had created quite a distance between himself and the others in a blink of an eye.

"Gohan, Gohan! Wait!" exclaimed Goten whose voice somehow reached his brother, stopping him dead on his track. The younger Saiyan hovered back and approached Goten who was looking for something in his bookbag. "I… uh, where is it? Um, hold on… there you are! Here, I brought you a shirt. You don't wanna look all messy like that, do you?" he handed a piece of clothing to Gohan.

The little tyke's eyes became as wide as saucers at the sight of the gift. He examined it back to front; it was the same blue-and-orange long-sleeved shirt Goten had worn when he embarked for Namek, albeit—for some reason—smaller. "Wow, thanks! But… why do you have my size?"

Goten exchanged a look with Trunks. Seeing his friend only rub the back of his head and grin sheepishly, Trunks was glad to spare him the trouble at the cost of some embarrassment. "It's not exactly your size. It seems this dummy over here," he pointed at the spiky-haired boy, "doesn't know how to operate a washing machine, so he just threw everything into it and didn't even bother with the settings. And voila! Shrunken went our clothes. Thanks, Goten."

"Don't blame me! The washer was too ancient!"

A fit of laughter broke among the group. After it had subsided, Gohan touched down for a while by a rocky formation to change his tattered outfit and emerged with a very perfectly fitting one. He had to stick with his current pants since Goten didn't give him any—perhaps pants didn't shrink as easily as shirts which was likely considering the material—but he had no problem with it since they weren't as damaged as his top. Blue, orange, purple; what a combination. He hovered back toward the three, gained everyone's attention by showing off his new attire which he liked so much, and finally proceeded to blast off into the distance with the others.

In his flight, Gohan couldn't help stealing one or two glances at the two youngsters behind him every now and then. Trunks and Goten seemed to be engaged in a fun conversation because every time he looked at them they were always chuckling and paying attention to whoever was talking. He wanted to confront Goten and squeeze the truth out of him, though, and it looked like delaying wouldn't promise a better time to do it later. After rallying his courage, he decided to give it a go and finally approached the boy in question.

"Um… Goten, can I talk to you for a moment?" he inquired.

"Hm? Just the two of us?" the 'big' brother asked back, getting a nod from the kid Saiyan as his reply, "Yeah, why not?"

After gaining Goten's approval, Gohan approached Trunks, passed him the Dragon Radar, and told him to just go ahead. He then turned to Dende, whispered something to him, and sent him off to follow Trunks. With those two now out of the picture, Gohan returned to his brother and flew alongside him, eyes locked ahead. He knew what he was going to talk about, of course, but was having difficulties finding the right way to start the conversation, stirring an air of awkwardness around them.

Luckily for him Goten took the initiative. Completely oblivious of where this was going and that it would lead him straight into a shipload of trouble, he asked, "So what is it, Gohan?"

The child seized the opportunity and straightaway asked his point. "Goten, have you ever heard of time travel?"

Gohan's question came as a total shock to Goten. He even needed to do a double take and asked what the question was, to which he responded by patiently repeating it again. It was true; his ears or mind wasn't playing tricks on him. Whether he was going to respond or not, he had somehow been dragged into a no-win situation by Gohan's abnormal shrewdness.

'What the heck, Gohan… what kind of question is that?' he said to himself while cursing his luck, 'Not good… Trunks, help me, please.'

* * *

><p>"Man, they sure are late. Can't you just make the wish?"<p>

"I can't… Gohan asked me to wait until he arrives. He said he might change some of his wishes."

Boredom assaulted Trunks relentlessly as he lay down on the grass by a huge spaceship, waiting indefinitely for the brothers' arrival. He had all seven Dragon Balls with him; with the radar in his possession it hadn't been at the slightest bit hard to locate them. The only problem he and Dende encountered was unearthing them out of the ground, but even it was more toward the annoying side than difficult. It seemed to him those who had done the job could've used more effort since the ground where the balls were buried just stuck up like a sore thumb, even from a distance. And to think the place was unguarded! Whoever owned this ship—Frieza being the most possible candidate—surely wasn't the brightest bulb in the box; that, or his employees were just egregiously stupid. Considering how that Recoome guy acted and spoke, the latter seemed infinitely more likely.

Ten solid minutes passed and there were still no signs of Goten and Gohan, so the curious heir to the Saiyan throne decided to take a quick look on the ship's interior. He made his entrance through a gaping hole on a glass panel which led to a circular room. There was nothing interesting aside from cabinets chock-a-block full of bottles of wine, so he went past the open doorway connecting the room and a long hallway. The smell of smoke wafted through the air; it was obvious destruction had taken place here shortly before he arrived, and the scorched walls and broken cables jutting out of the ceiling were a dead giveaway. It looked like power had almost failed completely since the lights were flickering on and off and closed doors just wouldn't budge, so he proceeded to the only one which was open and carefully peeked inside.

Taking a nap beside a container-like contraption was Vegeta. The prince didn't seem to notice their presence here, which was certainly a good thing. That would mean Gohan could safely make his wish without having to worry about Vegeta interrupting him with his stupid lecture of wish for immortality or something similar! If they really wanted to do it, now was the time… except Gohan hadn't arrived yet and Dende had explicitly stated he had been asked to wait until then. He got slightly frustrated at the thought of diverting the timeline any further, so he decided to force the Namekian into making the wish anyway. With that in mind, he quickly scurried through the long circular hallway into the wine store and swiftly exited through the hole.

Before he could approach Dende, however, he noticed Goten's and Gohan's energy signatures; finally the brothers had made it. There was something funny, though: Goten was flying with the little kid sitting on his back.

"It's about time you came," said Trunks as the two touched down. Goten looked rather crestfallen, but Gohan on the other hand seemed more cheerful than ever; he not just walked, but skipped in joy, to Dende to finally make the wish. "Hey, what's with the piggyback ride? You look like you just had a baby brother—oh my gosh, Goten," he gasped as an uncomfortable feeling suddenly rushed through his body, "You know what I'm thinking. Tell me it's not true."

Even though he stayed silent, to Trunks it was more than an answer. Then it began, his lengthy string of questions, even though he was unsure where to start. "No, no. No way. He knows? You told him everything? About us?" he asked consecutively, prompting a weak nod from Goten. It was a collective one which clearly provided the answer for every single one of Trunks's questions. "Oh man… you know what you were doing, dontcha?"

"I know, Trunks…" said Goten dejectedly, "But you know Gohan, he's just… he tends to poke his nose into everything."

"You could've thought of a better reason… so much for concealing our identities."

"I would if I could! He pressed me with an awful lot of questions and forced me to spill it! Heck, he even suspected that I was him!"

Silence followed as the two's tongues were locked in place, only to be broken just moments later by a thundering voice; the Dragon had been summoned. They didn't even notice the sky having gone dark, but they couldn't care less about what was taking place around them. Gohan and Dende also gave Trunks and Goten's confrontation a miss, perhaps because the preteens had been whispering all the time or the children had been too excited to see the Dragon who was called Porunga. Either way, the two groups of people were completely disconnected, each pair being in their own world of affairs.

"You really can't be relied on for things like this one. Go figure."

"Well, I'm sorry for that! But you should've at least tried to put yourself in my shoes, and you'll know Gohan's not someone you can handle oh-so-easily even as a kid. I was lucky I managed to convince him to keep it secret!" having been pushed to the fringe of his patience the younger among them finally snapped, "Plus, I've gone with your plans however crazy they were. And where are you now that I've gotten into trouble? Not even the slightest bit of support!"

"Because you've totally jumped the shark this time. Darn it, do I even need to say anything else? For the love of all that's good, Goten, you spewed up everything we agreed to keep secret! You really think Gohan can keep it to himself?"

"Don't you dare talk about him like that! I don't think he can keep it to himself, I know he will. He's my brother, what makes you think I don't believe him?"

"Naïve."

They were so engrossed in a heated argument they narrowly dodged a round stone—some twenty centimetres in diameter—falling from the sky. The Dragon had died; they knew it would eventually happen around this time because of Guru's demise, but they had a more important matter at hand right now. They kept assaulting each other verbally although in low voice so as not to draw Gohan's attention, and Goten finally lost it after Trunks called him a 'chatterbox' and said something about how his existence was now threatened.

"You know what, Trunks? Screw this," he stood up, loomed over Trunks, and shot an accusing glare at him. The lilac-haired halfling reciprocated by casting his own cold cerulean stare into the pitch-black depths of Goten's orbs. "One mistake and you're grilling me like nuts. I just want you to know it's not only your existence that's threatened, mine's at stake too! I dunno about you, but whatever happens I'm still planning to finish what we… no, what YOU started. I'm not about to just waltz off and leave our responsibilities behind. I don't care what you're gonna do now, have it your way!"

"Oh? It's good to hear," replied Trunks sharply, "Yeah, go ahead and handle it by yourself, why not? Saves me a heck of a lot of trouble. If you have nothing more to say, then hush or shoo or both."

"Who needs you anyway? Spoiled jerk."

And off Goten went. He and Trunks had fought countless times in the past, but never had they taken it into such major scale before. Usually a short period of silence—at most ten minutes—would follow their bickering before they resumed their antics as though nothing ever happened, but from the look of things now it seemed that silent period would last more than merely ten minutes, especially with them calling each other names like little kids. He wouldn't let it cloud his mind, though, so he approached his brother who was now fully aware of their origins and asked him what just happened to the Dragon Balls, although he already knew the answer.

"The Dragon… it died, and…" Gohan stuttered, "… the balls along with it…"

"What…?" Goten feigned concern, knowing at least Piccolo had been revived and the earth's Dragon Balls were now active again—or so he thought, "But you managed to wish Piccolo back… didntcha?"

"That's the problem, Goten… it just… it just died when its eyes were glowing red. There's no telling if the wish was granted or not!" said Gohan, a revelation which gained a genuine look of shock from his brother. The Dragon wasn't supposed to die this soon! Gohan too could barely contain his emotion and he almost burst into tears. "There's no way to bring back the others now… Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, Chiaotzu… they're all gone… and Piccolo…"

That was it for him. At the thought of his mentor and best friend gone for good, Gohan eventually broke free of his constraints and buried himself in Goten's chest as his tears spilled down unrestrained from his obsidian eyes. He was a strong boy; he only sobbed and wasn't bawling his eyes out, but even Goten knew the burden Gohan had to go through at the moment was absolutely phenomenal, especially for a little kid his age.

"Shh, Gohan… it's okay. Just let it all out…" Goten comforted his brother. It was an awkward feeling since Gohan was the one whom he usually sought solace to. 'This is great…' he said inwardly, 'First Trunks gets mad at me, and now Gohan becomes very vulnerable. I've never seen those two being like this before…'

Lifting his head to the now green heavens, he let out a sad sigh. 'Can this day get any worse?'


	8. Trunks's Reflection

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Happy reading!_

* * *

><p>To say that his mood was cross was an understatement.<p>

As though Goten's revelation hadn't been bad enough, here came Vegeta strolling out of the spaceship demanding an explanation why they had made their wish without his knowledge. His victim? None other than Trunks, since he was the one closest to the spaceship. Exasperated, the azure-eyed boy retorted by saying that even with Dende summoning the Dragon as quickly as possible, they couldn't have their first wish granted in time because of Guru's death. He even went as far as elaborating how Vegeta wasn't destined to gain whatever it was that he had been dying to wish for.

Of course, it wasn't the kind of response Vegeta considered acceptable, so he went into his—as Trunks put it—fit of uncontrollable babbling. "How dare you play the fortuneteller in front of me! Who are you, anyway? And where did you come from?"

"What do you mean, who am I? I'm from earth, of course."

"Don't play dumb with me! It's not possible an earthling can be so strong like that, there has to be an explanation!"

"Well, I train and drink coffee every day," he replied. Trunks himself was amazed at how he could still crack dry jokes despite his emotional turmoil.

"Idiot! Do you take me for a fool?" the purebred Saiyan growled, "I'll have you know I am Vegeta, the prince of the strongest warrior race in the universe! No one surpasses me!"

"So you wanna fight me? You saw what I'm capable of doing, didntcha?"

"SILENCE!"

Intent on extracting the truth out of his alternate self's son, Vegeta then proceeded to throw his punches and kicks—that was his idea of an interrogation. Trunks was ready for this and he was going to show the world, especially Goten, that there was always a way to keep one's secrets safe from the scrutinising gazes of man. To him it didn't matter even if he had to fight for it or even fabricate even bigger lies; he was a boy of solid principles, and if he thought something was worth doing, he would do anything in his power to do it. He believed he was the polar opposite of Goten who could frequently be irresolute and waver from his intentions.

He effortlessly managed to dodge, block, or deflect each and every single one of Vegeta's attacks, much to the Saiyan prince's chagrin, but didn't even try to retaliate in any way. Usually he would toy around with his opponents and be unrelenting with his mockery, especially when he was in a bad mood where he would talk them to death. It wasn't the case this time, however. Why? Was it because he was facing off against Vegeta, his own father? Someone who could whop his sorry back any time? Also, he recalled he had never once toyed around when sparring with Goten… then it finally came across his mind, the reason.

It was respect.

Not wanting to shatter his father's pride into bite-sized morsels—perhaps because of that same feeling of respect—he intentionally created an opening which would enable Vegeta to at least land one hit. Sure enough, the father seized the opportunity to deliver a hook to his son's face, sending him stumbling backward. The blow was strong enough to actually draw a little blood from his lower lip.

"Not bad," Trunks smirked.

"That's what happens when you mess with me. Now talk!" Vegeta demanded, "Start by telling me who you are!"

Even without being a thirty-something-year-old his father was already annoying. Still intent on keeping his secret, the halfling dropped his battle stance. "I don't think you're ready to hear it now… and I'm not in the mood. I'll tell you when I wanna tell you, okay?"

Ignoring Vegeta's temper tantrum, he sat down on the grassy turf. He had shown him who the stronger one among them was; knowing his father, it was more than likely that he would immerse himself in another period of uncontrollable babbling, ranting to himself about the fact that he was the mighty Prince of Saiyans and how it should've made him the strongest by default. Then, looking up at the sky, he found himself comparing Goten's personality to his own. 'Respect, huh…'

Unlike Trunks, the younger hybrid was raised more strictly by Chichi to always observe common courtesies. Add it to the fact that Chichi could sometimes be overbearing—although with good intentions—and wouldn't hesitate to exert control over her sons, even by force if need be, and one couldn't possibly miss why Goten had grown up into a very respectful young boy, although at times he could also dumbfound his mother with his antics. This also helped explain his naïveté and complete inability to fib; everyone knew better than to lie to Chichi, or in the Son household for that matter. Despite her ruthless virtues-over-all policy in raising her sons, she was more than successful in establishing in their mind the importance of respect, honesty, and kindness, all of which was evident in the high degree of trust displayed by one Son toward another, and even by Goten toward Trunks.

The eldest of the two, on the other hand, had been living in an entirely different world. Being the only son of his parents he was extremely well-loved and doted, although it wasn't until the eighth year of his life did his father openly show his affection toward him. He had never been familiar with the word 'endeavour'; even in his studies he had always been able to breeze through his subjects. Anything he wanted, with just a word, would be given to him. Those were the perks of having a very wealthy businesswoman who was at the same time a very intelligent engineer-scientist as a mother. Compounded with his father's influence, it was also the same reason why Trunks had developed very different personalities from Goten; instead of being humble he tended to humble, and he practically radiated cockiness and arrogance. Needless to say, he very rarely exhibited even a single sign of respect to people, and the only people fortunate enough to witness it were his parents and his best friend.

He realised it now, alright. Goten couldn't lie to Gohan due to the sheer degree of trust they had developed even though not much time had elapsed since they first met. Was it because Goten saw his own brother living inside this kid? Perhaps. But wasn't Trunks considered Goten's brother as well? He had known Goten since as long as he could remember—well, actually it was the other way around since he was older—and they had gone through good and bad, victory and loss, and even life and death together. So why would Goten want to compromise his chance to exist in this timeline by divulging their secret to Gohan?

"_He's my brother, what makes you think I don't believe him?_"

Those words rang incessantly in his mind, slapping him mentally as they continued to remind him that the only answer was trust. Not just trust, mind you, it was unfailing faith. He then began to reflect on his actions—although still relatively furious over their earlier scuffle—and let himself be immersed deep in his thoughts. Goten said there was no reason not to believe his own brother. So, if he had always considered Goten his brother and had always believed in him in the past, why couldn't Trunks do the same this time? Was it because by spilling everything, he may—or may not—realise his fear of this timeline's version of him being deprived of the right to exist? If yes, he needed to take a hard look at himself; his decision to travel through time carried as much possibility as Goten's confession to annul his existence here.

"_One mistake and you're grilling me like nuts._"

Goten was actually correct. It was unfair how Trunks shifted all the blame for Goten to bear. As hard as he could remember, never before had Goten blamed him for the unfortunate consequences of his mischievous plan. Besides, almost every time they got themselves into trouble, it could be attributed to Trunks, but Goten always decided to stick with him anyway. Maybe it sounded foolish, but he believed whatever Trunks came up with would turn up to be a good plan and the result would be well worth it. So, when the tables had turned, why did he have to play the jerk?

When Trunks was eyeing the landscape, his gaze accidentally met Goten's. It happened faster than a heartbeat since the raven-haired boy quickly returned his attention to Gohan who was sleeping on the ground, his head rested on his brother's thigh. Despite that, Trunks was sure he didn't miss seeing something in the depth of Goten's eyes: sorrow. It was contagious, and quicker than lightning a feeling of guilt coursed from his head to the toe.

"_Where are you now that I've gotten into trouble? Not even the slightest bit of support!_"

That was it. He couldn't stand the guilt which had been silently gnawing its way through his defences and finally flipped under the pressure. "Darn it, Goten, stop making me feel guilty!" he said to the voice in his head.

"I didn't do anything, Trunks!"

Trunks was visibly surprised at Goten's reply. Instead of keeping it to himself, he must have screamed it out for the world to hear, an action which gained him a confused but hostile look from his friend as well as a strange one from his father. To say the least, he was embarrassed.

'Oh crud… I really blew it this time, didn't I?' he said inwardly, 'First my friend called me a spoiled jerk, then my dad wanted to beat me to a bloody puddle, and now they both think I've lost it. Way to go, Trunks.'

* * *

><p>"Goten."<p>

No answer. An expected response; he hadn't anticipated for one. The younger preteen just sat there with his back turned to Trunks, keeping watch over Gohan who was still sleeping beside him.

"Look. I understand if you don't wanna talk to me, but…" he found himself momentarily at an impasse, unsure of what to say, "I, uh… was hoping you'd lend an ear."

Goten kept his silence like a statue and refused to produce a response, but Trunks decided to press on anyway. "You know, you're right. I've, um… I've been selfish. I shouldn't have thought like that. I had no idea you've been thinking so much… and when I thought about what you said earlier, I realised you were right. I'm… a spoiled jerk."

Still no reply, but little did the thirteen-year-old know Goten was actually paying attention since he asked him to lend an ear. "Uh, you see… you never really complained even if I jumped into action without thinking. Well, you sometimes did, but in the end you always stuck with me. But now, when you're in desperate need of support, I just had to shift everything for you to handle, didn't I? I wasn't even thinking about your additional burden…" he elaborated, "You have Gohan to take care of now, while I have nothing to immediately worry about. I guess it's really unfair of me to—"

"Save it, Trunks."

"Huh?"

"I said stop wasting your breath."

Hearing Goten's reply, Trunks stooped his head dejectedly. "… okay. I was just hoping you'd listen, but I didn't expect you to forgive me."

"Dummy, whatcha saying? C'mere," not wanting to yank Gohan out of his comfort zone, Goten gestured for Trunks to be seated, "Yeah, I'm mad, but you don't have to say anything else. That's enough," he continued after his friend settled himself beside him. His enigmatic response, however, left Trunks puzzled. "Of all people, it's you who said all those things, so I know you really mean it… plus, I don't think I can do this all by myself."

"That means…" he said after everything finally clicked in his head, hope present in his voice.

"You know, even after all these years, I'm never good at getting mad at you. I dunno why," Goten sighed before finally turning his face toward Trunks and smiled, "I forgive you, Trunks, and… I'm sorry I said all those things to you, especially the last one…"

At this state Goten's forgiveness was a godsend to Trunks, and as long as he could gain it other things wouldn't matter a bit. What had he done to deserve a friend like him? Nothing that he knew of. "Ah, don't worry about it! Let's just forget about what happened and do this together. Okay, buddy?"

"Yeah! Thanks, Trunks!"

With that, the two became friends again just as they had always been. Unfortunately their celebration didn't last long; an irritated voice hollered from nearby, surprising everyone—besides Gohan, of course, since he was sound asleep—including Vegeta who was actually a good distance away from them. Knowing whom that voice belonged to, the flame-haired man braced himself for a heck of a ride.

"Who are you? I wasn't expecting guests!"

Trunks and Goten turned toward the source of the voice to see who it was. Looking down upon them from a rocky mesa was an alien with menacing features. He was wearing some kind of a battle fatigue, similar to those worn by the mutants Trunks and Goten had disposed of earlier, a pair of black tight-fitting briefs which wasn't exactly easy on the eyes, and a scouter over his left eye. Upon first seeing him, however, one couldn't possibly miss two sharp horns sprouting from his head, extending some thirty centimetres sideways. To top all those, he looked nowhere near happy at the strangers' presence.

"Uh-oh… we've got company," said Trunks.

"Gee, I think the homeowner has returned," Goten agreed, then rocked his brother gently in an attempt to wake him up, "Gohan, we've overstayed. Wake up, Gohan, we're gonna be evicted."

* * *

><p><em>Post-note: A short chapter, I know, but I think without going through the entire reconciliation process Trunks and Goten would be all by their respective selves and emotionally helpless. On a side note, happy Palm Sunday to those who celebrate <em>:)


	9. The Real Deal

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Happy reading!_

* * *

><p>For almost a full minute everyone was engaged in a silent standoff with no one making a move. Not knowing what would happen if he jumped into action recklessly, Vegeta was wary as ever although he secretly sought refuge behind the earthlings' unbelievable capabilities, Gohan—although just moments earlier he was still struggling to rally his consciousness—readied himself in a battle stance, while Dende took cover behind one of the spaceship legs. The most destructive duo known to man, however, just stood casually after assessing the seriousness of the situation; they concluded this was nothing they couldn't handle, much to Gohan's worry.<p>

"Well, if it isn't Vegeta! What do we have here?" the alien hovered down from the mesa and greeted in a mockingly friendly tone, "I see you've allied yourself with some earthling brats!"

"Don't get me wrong. I'm not a team player, and even if I were, the alliance has been terminated," replied Vegeta, "Although I'd never get that ultimate power thanks to their interference, at least Frieza won't be able to make his wish either."

Hearing their little exchange, Goten tilted his head to the left in curiosity. He whispered to Trunks, "Ultimate power? I thought your dad was supposed to wish for immortality."

"Well duh, things must have been altered when we were on our way here. Remember when Gohan said that dad trained him?" asked Trunks in an equally soft voice, "It never happened in our time."

While they were whispering to each other, Vegeta and the purple-skinned humanoid he referred to as Ginyu continued to converse. The latter looked even more irritated upon learning that the Dragon Balls had been used before and cursed his decision to leave everything to a bunch of Frieza's brainless soldiers. He somehow had a hunch it wouldn't be a good idea, and seeing how unreliable they were in performing such a simple task it turned out to be a bad move indeed. For their incompetence, annihilation of the entire battalion by Vegeta had been more than a reward.

However, he knew his employer would most likely be nowhere near pleased if he found out about the entire affair, and his own demise in Frieza's hand was well within the realm of possibility. Unwilling to meet his doom anytime soon, he was bent on killing Vegeta right here, right now; that was the least he could do to appease his master's wrath. There was only one thing he needed to know before he did just that. "Recoome was supposed to have taken care of you. It's beyond me how you survived and managed to kill Jeice and Burter, but I just need to make sure you're dead after this," he said, "That's all there is to it."

"You imbecile! You seem to forget how Saiyans get stronger every time they recover from near-death state," the proud prince smirked smugly, "And your men were so weak, I didn't even have to do anything to kill them. Those brats over there," he pointed to Trunks and Goten who were engaged in some sort of a casual conversation as though nothing had happened, "were the ones who did the dirty job for me."

"What's that? Stop bluffing me!"

"Does it look like I am? It was pathetic seeing them pulverise your ridiculous underlings like they were a piece of paper!"

Ginyu didn't believe a word Vegeta said; of course, his squad was placed among the most powerful fighters in the living universe. All five of them were always trusted to do Frieza's ravenous desires of purging entire planets of their inhabitants to be sold or turned into resorts and they earned good money for that. For all intents and purposes they were ranked even higher than Frieza's elites—Zarbon, Dodoria, and Cui—but they were gone now. Well, not all since Recoome was still alive, but he couldn't even budge an inch despite his outwardly fine condition. It looked like he had somehow sustained a massive internal injury which rendered him ineffective in battle, so sad as it seemed, Ginyu decided to leave him for dead. Being a good captain he was, if these small fries truly were the ones who had defeated them, he was going to avenge them.

Walking toward Trunks, Goten, and Gohan in an intimidating manner, he hollered, "Hey, you! Is it true that you decimated my team?"

"Um, hi, Captain Cow Milk!" the 'older' Son boy eyed Ginyu from top to bottom with his obsidian eyes. He had expected this particular being to be white-skinned mottled with black, but it seemed that wasn't the case. "And, uh… I'm sorry we killed your friends… we just wanna have fun, but they started playing unfair!"

"Idiot, it's Ginyu! And that's the last time you ever get to make fun of me," he burst out in anger. He had never had his dignity marred by someone he thought not as strong, and certainly he wasn't going to let this boy live for having done just that. "Listen up, you nimrods. You may have lucked out against the others, but I'm warning you. You've got a candle's chance in a cyclone of beating me! I'll have you know my power level is one hundred and twenty thousand, easily—"

"Hey mister! Speaking of power level, can you check ours with that scouter thingy?" Goten shamelessly interjected Ginyu mid-sentence, much to his sheer irritation, "We'll power up a bit, because those… uh… butter and cheese guys said mine's only fifteen hundred. That's too low!"

"Stop fooling around and don't you dare disrespect my men! Their names were Burter and Jeice! Now listen up, brat, I'm not in the mood for games!"

"Pleaseee? We really wanna know our power levels," pleaded Trunks.

"NO!"

This time Goten joined his friend. His impersonation of a helpless puppy would surely melt the hardest of hearts and it was sure to multiply the impact of their little performance by a factor of infinity. "Pretty pleaseeee?"

At the sight of the playful warriors giving the purple mutant the best puppy eyes they could manage, Gohan was left speechless. He knew they were strong—being the sons of his father and Vegeta—but he was taught by Piccolo to never underestimate his opponents. What if this particular guy had an ability unlike anything they had never seen? However, he could do nothing but let Trunks and Goten handle the situation. They had to know whom they were dealing with; after all, they were from the future.

"Tsk… fine. Just this once! Children these days… so headstrong. At least they say 'please'."

Trunks and Goten giggled at their victory and started powering up 'a bit'. Their agenda? Giving him the idea they were way out of his league and could easily reduce him to nothingness just with one hand if they so wanted.

With a flick of a switch Ginyu's green eyepiece came to life and displayed all sorts of information in an unfamiliar language. "Alright, here goes. I don't understand why you need it for, though, since you'll be dead anyway. Twenty thousand… thirty… big deal," he shrugged. However, the hue of his face gradually went up several values in the lightness department as the number on his scouter suddenly shot up in an exponential rate. He couldn't believe his own eyes when it displayed 200,000 and still counting; 400,000 was the last number he saw before his little device exploded due to overloading. Gohan and Vegeta were, of course, left perplexed at this discovery; although they were well aware of what Trunks and Goten were capable of, they hadn't expected their power to be that tremendous.

"Oops, sorry about that," Trunks grinned deviously, "I guess we got a little too carried away. So who's the candle now?"

"Why you insolent runts! Do you really think I'm afraid of your little display of power? You have no idea of what I'm capable of…"

"Hee-hee. Actually, I do. You have to steal other people's bodies because you're weak," said Goten in a singsong voice, "So you're planning to switch bodies with one of us. Right?"

How the boy possessed prior knowledge of his power came as a total shocker to Ginyu. Now that his trump card had been revealed and running away wasn't even an option to begin with—where would he turn his face to? Besides, Frieza would literally fire him if he did—he could only hope for a miracle. You can't blame a man for trying, anyway. "H-how did you… ENOUGH! You'll learn to respect me in the Other World! And now…"

Then it began, a cue for Goten—and Gohan, who promptly relaxed from his battle stance for a moment—to watch intently. Trunks, on the other hand, just clicked his tongue and shook his head at his Son friends' unsurpassed penchant of goofy poses. The alien started tapping his feet on the ground several times, turned around, spread his legs apart, and bent his torso downward so that Trunks, Goten, and Gohan could see his head peeking from between his legs. "Tremble at the power of the mighty Captain Ginyu!" he proclaimed, mistaking his spectators' wordless and wide-eyed reaction as an expression of awe.

A long, nice silence followed afterwards. No one—even Goten, who would normally be jumping up and down in excitement—made a move; everyone was staring at the two-horned mutant with eyes as wide as saucers. If this scene were to be depicted in a comic book panel, one could see a Namekian equivalent of a crow cawing while flying overhead.

Completely flabbergasted at the performance he just saw with his own eyes, the raven-haired warrior gawked, "What… the heck… did I just see, Trunks?"

Trunks could only cover his face with his palms. The red and blue mutants' poses had almost certainly done a number on his nervous system, but this one was just… outlandish, indescribably so, and describing it that way was an understatement at its best. "I dunno and I don't wanna know, but I'd watch The Nutcracker Suite any day over this guy," he said, "Don't tell me you think he's cool, because my eyes are burning! Argh, I can't un-see it!"

"He's so lame! Oh no, Trunks, I think I'm gonna-_blurp_-puke."

"Whoa, not here! Go somewhere else!"

"I think it's awesome, you guys! Don't you think so?"

Goten's gastric discharge suddenly retreated when he heard an excited voice. The demolition duo's eyes were now fixed at Gohan; they now knew what inspired those goofy Great Saiyaman poses were inspired from. It was fortunate their version of Gohan had completely given up being the hero of Satan City, because right now Goten was having a second thought about it; he now totally understood why Trunks could never stand seeing his brother pull those poses and would probably break down in tears if he saw him doing it again.

"G-gohan… you…" Trunks sweatdropped, "… you're just kidding… right?"

"Gaahhh… I stayed up all night trying to come up with this pose, and you say it's even worse than ballet!" Ginyu could feel his veins popping out on his forehead. Unwilling to be relentlessly made fun of by unknown strangers—add that to the fact that they were no more than fifteen earth-years of age—he clenched his teeth and pumped his fists in indignation. "How dare you make fun of me! How! Dare! YOU!"

"Yikes, he's lost it. It's not my fault your pose is so ugly!" Goten retorted.

Vegeta, who was watching from a distance, had grown tired of the children's nonsensical games. For all he knew Frieza could be here anytime, and although he himself was anxious to exact his revenge on the lunatic overlord for having exterminated the entire Saiyan race, fighting Ginyu and him at the same time might not be a good idea. He had two options: jump into the action himself or have the brats do the dirty work again. The latter was more preferable to him since he didn't really want to waste his energy in dealing with small potatoes, so he shouted to the kid trio and ordered them to stop fooling around and finish Ginyu right here and now, or else he'll "… kill him and then you and then myself, so I can kill each and every one of you again in the Other World!"

The brothers were amused and actually chuckled at the display of Vegeta's very dark sense of humour—although he was in fact being serious, no less—but Trunks was nowhere as pleased. "Man, wouldcha relax?" he sighed in exasperation, "You sound like my mother—"

"GINYU!"

A high-pitched voice sounding just like that of somebody's disgruntled grandmother shrieked from the sky, gaining different reactions from everyone present: a surprised collective yelp from the halfling trio, hope from the tall alien, and something which looked like a mix between irritation and anticipation from the full-blooded Saiyan. Now, as all eyes were on the owner of the voice, they could see yet another alien having similar features to Ginyu, albeit this one was noticeably shorter and came with a long tail. There was no mistaking it from the others' reactions; the true homeowner was back.

"Ah, my lord! You're here!"

* * *

><p>Hovering in midair, Frieza assessed the situation and tried to make sense of what had been happening on his front porch while he was gone. There were three youngsters he had never seen before, the monkey prince Vegeta, and his supposedly loyal underling Ginyu. What caught his attention, however, were seven round stones scattered on the turf; seeing those, he gritted his teeth in sheer frustration.<p>

"So that's Frieza…" Gohan whispered. There was no mistaking it; his energy signature was exactly the same as the one he had felt back at Guru's. That left only one possibility: Nail was no more. "Be careful, guys… this one's very strong. I can feel it."

"He's small, huh? Wait… I thought Frieza is a he!" confusion was present in Goten's voice, "Why does he… uh, she… um, it sound like a girl?"

"Well duh, he IS a he, dummy. You heard that Ginyu guy say 'my lord', didntcha?" hearing his best friend's testimony of his own denseness, Trunks rolled his eyes.

"Really? What's with that purple lipstick, then?" Goten cocked his head to the right in confusion, "Dude looks like a lady. Is he gay or something?" His question made Trunks snort from trying to contain his laughter.

The tyrant heard everything the children said. How dare they question his gender and orientation! They would need to have a word with his loving parents if they had such complaints. He was insulted to say the least, but as much as he wanted to punish them, there was a more pressing matter at hand which he first needed to deal with. "Well, Captain Ginyu," he began, "I must say, you have… let me down."

Ginyu was shocked at Frieza's unexpected statement. He had been expecting help, but what was this ugly card which was dealt to him? "Excuse me, Lord Frieza? I believe you don't think I've made a mistake… do you?" knowing full well what would follow, the elite desperately tried to change his superior's mind by listing his accomplishments since parting ways earlier today, "I collected all the Dragon Balls for you, and I—"

"Oh, no. You have not made a mistake, Ginyu. You left the stash unguarded, did you not? Because of that, these rats came and have stolen my right for the wish," Frieza turned his head to Trunks, Goten, and Gohan before returning to the alien, his gaze cold and penetrating, "and you cannot even handle them properly. So there, you see you have made three mistakes. I trusted you, but it seems you have let it go to waste. Tell me, how is that not a disappointment?" He then descended from the sky and landed on a rise so everyone was able to have a good look on him. "Where is that confidence you exhibited earlier upon our briefing, Ginyu?"

"Sir, I… I left because I received a distress call from Jeice!"

"So, loyalty to your subordinates is more important than that to your employer?"

"I… don't mean to say loyalty to you is not important! P-please, I can explain!"

"You need not. You are dismissed and relieved from duty."

"But, sir! Let me sho—"

Before Ginyu was able to finish his sentence, a thin file of purple beam went straight from the tip of Frieza's index finger through his skull, killing him instantly. Seeing the ease at which Frieza disposed of his underling, Trunks, Goten, and Gohan were struck with a feeling of disturbed surprise. His no-nonsense—but nonchalant—approach in dealing with things he disapproved of just screamed the truth that this guy was very volatile perfectionist who had a relatively short fuse. That would explain the poor captain's perpetual anxiety to please him.

"Another one down the drain. That money could have been used for some fine wine. Now, then…" the space emperor next turned to the hybrid trio who just recovered from their shock, "Children, if you were having an issue with Ginyu, I take it you must be among Vegeta's pesky meddlers who have been trying to stop me, am I not right?"

"Nope, you're wrong. We're not taking orders from da-uh, Vegeta, we're not pesky, we're not meddlers, and we're not trying to stop you," Trunks paused before continuing to add a dramatic air to his speech, "But we know we're gonna stop you."

"Yes, whatever. However, it is only courteous that I introduce myself, then. My name is—"

"Frieza," Gohan interjected, "And you're seeking for immortality, that's why you killed those Namekians and stole their Dragon Balls, right? You're terrible…"

"A common stranger knows my name and motives? I see that my illustrious reputation precedes me, and I am pleased! That is correct, smart boy," the alien bowed majestically, but then followed his courteous gesture with a deadly glare, "But thanks to you importunate vermin, my plan is ruined! Now there is no point of preserving this planet anymore. I shall purge it of its pests… and turn it into a luxury getaway."

This time it was Goten's turn to ask. Again, there really was no telling whether he did this on purpose or just to irritate his opponent. "What do you mean, thanks to us your plan is ruined?"

"Do not play dumb with me, boy. Look at the stones by your feet," Frieza pointed to one of said objects, "Those are the size of Dragon Balls. While I was away, you by some fortunate occurrence managed to get your hands on them, used them before me to have your own wish granted, and now they have become inert." Then, remembering his actions earlier, he pumped his fists and hissed through his teeth, "I should not have toyed around with that good senior citizen as soon as I obtained the password from him. Perhaps, had I not killed him, I would have been able to get here before you pests!"

The implication behind Frieza's last sentence caught Gohan's attention. 'Had you not… killed him…?' he thought. When everything became clear and clicked in his head, his eyes widened; rage consumed him as he prepared to charge at the heartless murderer. "So it was you! You killed Guru, YOU MONSTER!"

However, just like earlier, he felt his hand being yanked from behind, and he didn't even need to turn around to know it was his brother. When he did, Goten weakly shook his head and cast a profound gaze deep into Gohan's black eyes, urgently beseeching him not to attack Frieza by himself.

"Goten, let me go! He needs to pay for what he's done!"

"Listen to me, Gohan!" Goten pleaded, "If you charge at him like that, there's a chance that… you'll get hurt… and you know the Dragon Balls are gone now… please, Gohan. At least he gets what he deserves." He then proceeded to kneel by his brother's side and wrapped one arm around his shoulder. "I don't wanna lose you, and… Piccolo and Krillin wouldn't, either… so can you stay, Gohan? For them, and for me?"

"… okay, Goten. I'm sorry…" Gohan complied. He believed his brother and Trunks would surely come up with a better plan.

"Ah, someone is concerned of his baby brother's safety… how sweet! But I must have missed something here. I get what I deserve?" Frieza queried, "You do not happen to care to elaborate, do you?"

Vegeta's ever-perceptive ears caught his ex-czar's remarks. Gohan was that black-haired boy's younger brother? That would—by simple deduction—mean he was Kakarot's eldest; when he did a double take, he did indeed notice some similarities between Gohan and this boy they called Goten, and the older boy seemed to have been very protective toward the younger. But if it were true, how come this Goten hadn't come to his brother's aid during his invasion to earth with Nappa? However, after some thinking, it was possible that Frieza said it solely due to the impression they gave; aside from Vegeta, everyone present there had been total strangers to the despicable lizard-man, so there couldn't be a single drop of truth in his words. Still, the resemblances between them were uncanny…

"You're not the smartest in your class, huh? Listen to me carefully, because I'm not gonna repeat it," Trunks pointed toward the chestnut-skulled alien in a very haughty manner, "You yourself, sir, caused it to happen."

"Pardon me?"

Trunks repeated to the emperor everything he had explained to Vegeta verbatim. Learning that it was his own deeds which had prevented him from getting his hands on what he had been longing for, Frieza's rage was slowly but steadily building. Now he was just like a balloon which was ready to pop, and since there wasn't anyone else to whom the blame could be shifted, he decided to take it out on those who were unfortunate enough to be in the vicinity.

"Heh! Sorry, psycho. It seems you're not scheduled to be immortal from the beginning," the lilac-haired heir of the Saiyan throne jeered at him. As always, of course, a smirk was supplied free of charge.

"Why, you…!" Frieza glowered and was ready to explode in a fit of rage. However, something in his head told him to calm down and he did just that; in just a moment, he regained his princely composure and handled the situation with equanimity. "Well, fine. There must be some planets out there with other wish-granting powers. All I need to do is conquer that planet and either ask or force its inhabitants to do my bidding."

"Nuh-uh! We're not gonna let it happen!" now clearly excited in anticipation of an epic showdown, Goten said very assuredly, "We'll stop you, and you won't get away with this!"

"Why, the kids are playing the fortuneteller! I do say, you are quite the comedian," the horned lizard-man let out a fake laugh, "But you need to wake up now, children, because you have been gravely mistaken with your prediction."

"We're not kidding, freak. You will fail to register in public's memory!" Trunks joined.

"Now, now, kid. How can you be so sure? Nobody could possibly see into the future."

Trunks and Goten exchanged a knowing look and smiled. Oh yes, Frieza didn't know what hit him. Then, donning a sly smile across their face, they said in unison in a very dramatic manner,

"… except us."


	10. The Stage Is Set

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Happy reading!_

* * *

><p>"Do you wanna go first, Trunks?"<p>

"How about you?"

"Uh, well… actually, I do. Hehe."

"C'mon, Goten… let's fight together, all of us!"

"But if we gang up against him, it's unfair…"

"Let's decide! Rock-paper-scissors!"

"Wowee! I win!"

"Congratulations, you just used all your luck for your next exam."

The entire situation seemed to be handled like a casual matter by the halflings, and sure enough, there were two particular somebodies who were nothing short of vexed by the sight. One was Frieza, who had to struggle to maintain his calm although anger over being robbed of immortality was slowly gnawing through his defences. The other was Vegeta; having grown tired of the children's all-talk-and-no-action approach and obliviousness to the urgency of the case, he finally decided to settle everything himself. Besides, since it was Frieza who had exterminated the entire population of his home planet, it is by a Saiyan's hand he needed to die: an eye for an eye. "You three can't have all the fun! Move aside, this is my battle!" he shouted, positioning himself between the trio and Frieza.

"Hey, not fair! It's my turn, you can't just butt in like that," protested Goten.

"Silence! In a battle, nothing is fair!" Vegeta retorted without even turning his face to the pouting boy, his gaze locked on the round-headed tyrant who was getting more and more impatient by the second.

"You are my first opponent, Prince Vegeta?" said Frieza. He gave the word 'prince' an emphasis and said it with a mocking tone. "I was hoping to save the best for last."

"That's me. Now get ready to play, Frieza!"

"Play? Do you think this is a game?" Frieza finally snapped, "You have ruined everything, you vile lowlife! How dare you stick your tail in my affairs and derive entertainment from my hardship! Have you forgotten how frightening I really am? You are but a helpless, lonesome monkey in a slaughterhouse!" he screamed while raising his fist in front of his face to indicate the extent of his wrath, "There is no escape for you! Say your prayers!"

"Last second he was calm, and now he's mad like heck. Bipolar disorder," Trunks whispered, gaining a nod from his friend.

"Heh, do your worst," Vegeta flashed his signature smirk, "If you think I'm going to be that easy to defeat, you're greatly mistaken."

"Yes, let it all out! Live boldly, even if it is only for a few moments… because YOUR TIME IS UP!"

Without warning, Frieza flung a charged energy ball at Vegeta, but the Saiyan prince nimbly jumped away. However, being just behind him, the hybrids were forced to dodge the blast as well. The purple sphere zoomed past them and made its way to one of the spaceship legs—just next to the one behind which Dende was hiding—resulting in a rather large explosion. Not wanting to expose Gohan and Dende to danger since the Dragon Balls were no longer functioning, Trunks and Goten agreed to get them into a relatively safe place where they could still follow all the action, so they swiftly snatched the children and took them to hide behind a seemingly sturdy rock formation.

Telling them to stay still and resist all urge to confront the diminutive monarch, the half-Saiyan best friends flew on top of the formation to watch the warm-up between Frieza and Vegeta which was intensifying by the minute—in terms of rate of fire. According to Trunks, the standoff itself had no gusto at all since all they did was some kind of a basic agility training session where one would fire a rapid barrage of energy blasts and the trainee would dodge every single one of them, sending dust and pieces of rock flying to all directions in his wake. Feeling bored but knowing better than to interrupt his father in a fight, the lilac head stretched his arms and let out a huge yawn.

"Frieza's not too bad," said Goten.

"Yup, not bad indeed. Terrible," Trunks rectified the younger boy's statement, "I can still kill him with my pinkie."

"Then why are we waiting?"

"Duh, remember the reason we're here? To see all his forms!"

"Oh yeah, you're right. You brought the camera with you, didntcha?"

"I didn't. I thought you did!"

"Huh? I thought you did!"

They were just on the verge of getting into a childish argument when Trunks heard the sound of Frieza's name. When he looked down he was surprised to see Gohan standing in the open; the next second, he fired a quick energy wave at Frieza, but the lizard-man casually backhanded it like a rubber band and retaliated with another one of his own. Being too flabbergasted by the relative ease his attack was nullified, Gohan barely noticed the purple energy sphere coming at him. Seeing that Gohan wouldn't be able to step aside in time, Goten prepared to dart downward to shield him from harm, but stopped abruptly when Vegeta suddenly materialised in front of the young kid and deflected Frieza's attack, sending it flying into the distance. Thanking the proud warrior in his heart, Goten along with Trunks descended and landed beside Gohan and looked at him with a spark of worry in his eye.

"Goten… I'm… sorry!" the poor boy was seized by embarrassment, "I know I shouldn't have done that, but I had to try getting him while he was distracted!"

After a quick inspection Goten concluded Gohan sustained no damage whatsoever and sighed in relief. That was all that matters right now. "It's okay, Gohan. But you gotta be more careful next time, okay?" he said, gaining him an 'okay' from his brother.

A minute of silence followed with Vegeta and Frieza staring at each other, carefully waiting for the other to make a move. When Frieza finally did, Vegeta leapt into action; quicker than human eyes could see—except there were no humans around—the Saiyan and the tyrant soared to the sky and exchanged blows mid-air before dashing somewhere else. The process repeated for five more times before they finally landed on the ground again, continuing their staring contest of not-so-epic proportions and creating yet another period of calm.

"Are you alright, Gohan?" a voice called. It was Dende; seizing the moment's reprieve, he too got out of his hiding place to lend a helping hand if needed.

"I'm okay… thanks, Dende," replied Gohan.

"Do you think… we can win?" asked Dende. He looked genuinely concerned about the outcome of this encounter.

"I really dunno if we can win… look at them go, he's too strong."

Having overheard their exchange, Frieza answered for Gohan, "Well, I do have the answer. You are all going to perish, and I assure you it will not be pleasant."

"Gee, he's so smug," Goten raised his eyebrows, "If someone hadn't taken my place, he wouldn't be saying that now."

"He sure can't read the writing on the wall," Trunks just shrugged.

Hearing Trunks and Goten, Vegeta smirked although he felt somewhat irked at Goten's nonsensical and childish accusation. His sadistic personality then took over and he wasted no time in attempting to aggravate the cold-blooded emperor and humiliate him. "You know what, Frieza? Our chance of winning is just as good as yours!"

"Such jabberwocky. Do you think I can be fooled that easily?" said Frieza haughtily, believing his opponent's words to be a complete ruse.

"You're so blind you don't know what hit you. Haven't you noticed yet? Take a good look at the little guy behind me!" he pointed at Gohan with his thumb, "His power is enormous but he doesn't even know it yet."

This revelation came as a surprise to Gohan, perplexing him to say the least. So this wasn't the full extent of his latent power which was unlocked by Guru? Since then he had noticed a huge increase in his fighting abilities, of course, but to think that there was more to it just made him more amazed of what he was actually capable of. All this time he hadn't realised it, and little did he know this day was going to be a fateful day when he would see for himself glimpses of his true might.

Ignoring the mop-top head's confusion, the prince carried on talking, "As for the other two, I don't know who they are or where they came from, but they're the ones who took care of Ginyu's weaklings like they were nothing. Even if I fall, which is highly unlikely, you'll be having a hard time against them. And that's not all…" he paused for a moment before continuing, "Soon, I'll be a Super Saiyan, your worst nightmare!"

At the words 'Super Saiyan' Trunks and Goten exchanged a knowing look while Frieza's expression slightly stiffened, but he remained calm nonetheless. "Trivial nonsense. You brag extraordinarily well, Vegeta, but we are all aware of that legend. This so-called Super Saiyan has long become an item of antiquity."

Vegeta just simpered shiftily. It might only be a legend, alright, but there was no mistaking the fact that his strength had increased substantially ever since his arrival to earth. He had escaped death three times, and that was exactly how many times his zenkai had activated. Surely his power had multiplied by a factor of at least twenty, placing him around 400,000, and which other Saiyan had that high of a power level? With Kakarot out of the picture, he was the strongest Saiyan in existence and if it wasn't the definition of Super Saiyan, what else would it be?

Having had enough of that senseless swagger, Frieza boomed, "You worthless piece of garbage! I refuse to believe in old wives' tales!"

"Well, sad for you!" came Vegeta's reply.

"Why, you! I shall wipe that irritating smirk off your face!"

Out of vexation Frieza charged at the adult Saiyan, bent on eliminating him at all costs. He had insulted him too many times and would have to face the consequences. Frieza intended to land a right hook on his opponent's face, but to his surprise Vegeta managed to—with some effort—catch his arm before the blow connected. He tried his luck with his left fist but to no avail; again, it was caught by Vegeta's right and and his attack was foiled. Now with one's hands tightly locking with the other's—and no, it was all brawns and far from romantic—they could only stand their ground while powering up, their energy gradually carving a crater out of the ground around them. The rise in Vegeta's power level proved too much for Frieza's brand-new scouter to handle; it exploded and distracted him, giving the flame-haired prince an opportunity to land a blow on his face. His attack was quickly followed by a big leap backward, creating a space between them.

"Not too shabby for a monkey, especially that little demonstration of power of yours," said Frieza while wiping his face. Never in his life had someone other than his parents successfully landed an attack on him. He was slightly pleased.

"If you ask me, I'd say you're too shabby. You won't be able to beat me in your current state, so just transform, Frieza!" Vegeta attempted to talk his foe into doing as he said. This battle had no zest for him, and if he could kick up the challenge by a notch or two, why not? "Transform and show me your true self!"

Hearing his father provoking Frieza to transform, Trunks got all psyched up and started paying attention. "Oh! This is it, Goten. It can be any second now!"

"He can… transform? That doesn't sound good, Trunks…" Gohan cringed, not believing letting it happen to be a good idea. However, he was told not to worry by Goten who insisted that Gohan would be safe and just fine as long as he and Trunks were here to help. That was all Goten needed to say; with his rock-solid faith in his brother, Gohan nodded in agreement and decided to let things advance the way Vegeta wanted.

"So you know about my little secret…" said Frieza. He was quite surprised someone not among his elites was aware of that fact.

"That's right. Your loving minion Zarbon conveniently blurted it out," replied Vegeta, "Now hurry up, transform before I change my mind and kill you right here and now! I haven't got all day, you know."

Frieza didn't need to be told twice. If it was a transformation Vegeta wanted, then it was a transformation he would get although the battle would certainly be heavily skewed toward his favour. "Well, if you want to die that badly, let me just speed up the process. Lo and behold, and marvel at this!"

Accompanied with a loud cry, an intense explosion of energy emanated from the overlord's relatively tiny body, pushing everything not firmly fastened to the ground—including one Saiyan, three Saiyan hybrids, and one Namekian—away into the air. How that much power could be contained within that form without it collapsing onto itself was beyond understanding, but Vegeta's explanation made it clear to everyone that Frieza was using that form to actually conserve energy, quite contradictory to the common sense. Whatever the truth was, when they looked down, they saw Frieza undergoing an apparently painful process: his muscles bulged, his neck stretched, his limbs elongated, his torso expanded, his horns curved upward, and—no longer able to contain his build—his battle armor shattered. It looked like they were witnessing the birth of a whole new being instead of a modification of an existing one.

"Well, that's… one heck of a transformation. I wonder if that hurts," Goten remarked.

"Hmph! At last, some quality entertainment," Vegeta snorted.

After screaming for a minute due to the enormous outflow of energy, the creature finally cooled off and everything started to settle down. No more gusts of wind, flying pieces of rock and dust, or intense output of energy; much to Vegeta's anxious anticipation, Trunks and Goten's enjoyment, and Gohan and Dende's horror, his transformation was complete.

"Here I am, as you wish," Frieza said from the ground. His voice was now heavier and there was a change in the way he spoke, perhaps true to his wilder and more powerful appearance. "Be careful, I won't be as gentle as before. But since I'm feeling particularly generous today, I'll be giving away free one-way tickets to hell." He then casually screened through his potential victims to decide who the lucky winner—as he put it—was going to be.

Trunks was not amused at the tyrant's dry sense of humour. "Ha-ha… very funny! Looks like you know how to make lame jokes now, huh?" he said. However, Frieza's new appearance which looked like an oversized version of Ginyu really took him by surprise; the combination of muscles, pink skin, and tight-fitting briefs was just too much for him to contain his amusement. "Goten, you're right, he looks so gay! Hey, freak show, you're probably here to look for a boyfriend. Well, sorry to disappoint you, but I'm straight!"

For a moment everybody was silent except for Trunks who was laughing his head off. Frieza, however, decided to be mean and break the laughter. "I've decided!"

Looks could be deceiving; despite his bulky size, Frieza darted toward his target even faster than when he was in the previous form. Being too engrossed in his glee, Trunks failed to notice that he had been placed at the very centre of the hulking giant bull's-eye. The poor lilac-haired preteen wouldn't be able to dodge whatever he was dealt with in time; the only thing that could save him was either some kind of a divine intervention… or a surprising decision of someone nearby.

* * *

><p><em>Post-note: To those who celebrate, have a blessed Maundy Thursday<em> :)


	11. Preview of a Legend

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Happy reading!_

* * *

><p>"Hey, freak show, you're probably here to look for a boyfriend. Well, sorry to disappoint you, but I'm straight!"<p>

Following his words Trunks laughed his head off out of pure amusement. He was oblivious of the twofold increase of Frieza's power level, perhaps because it was still substantially lower than his own at full power. On the other hand, Gohan, Dende, and Vegeta who were nowhere as strong as the time travellers kept their guards up since anything could happen, although the full-blooded Saiyan was actually anticipating the good fight he would engage in. Seeing the grim look on the others' faces, Goten could only let out a nervous giggle as he tried to snap his friend out of his insane laughter from his position, but to no avail. Being cocky by nature, Trunks found insulting his opponents entertaining, and since he was stronger than Frieza there was no harm in doing it, right?

Wrong. Frieza might be weak to him, but his horns were still sharp.

"I've decided!"

Without warning, Frieza propelled himself into the sky. At first he was aiming at Vegeta, but it turned out to be a feint; when he readied himself to dodge, to his surprise, the giant made a sharp turn and steered himself toward Trunks, intent on catching him off-guard and skewering him with his intimidating horns. Since the poor boy was immersed deep in his merriment, the attack had near-perfect accuracy and there was no chance for him to evade it.

"TRUNKS! LOOK OUT!"

At the very last second just before the strike connected, Trunks could feel being shoved aside, followed by an unpleasant sound and someone's restrained scream. It all happened in just an instant; nobody was able to make sense of what was taking place until they turned around and saw what it was all about with their own eyes.

"Ow… whaddya do that for?" the eldest halfling complained as he regained his balance. After he did and looked ahead, however, his eyes dilated and how he wished he hadn't. "Oh my… goodness…"

"NOOOO!"

"Oops, I harpooned the wrong fish. But no worries, you'll all get your turn in due time."

What they saw was absolutely nightmarish and even Vegeta was watching in horror: on the spot where Trunks had been less than ten seconds ago, there was Frieza, looming over them, who had managed to impale Goten on the side with his horn. Totally shocked at this turn of events, Trunks was unable to even budge an inch and could only watch in horror as Frieza swatted Gohan—he had dashed to aid his brother, but it was no use—away with his tail.

Utilising his energy, Gohan broke his fall mid-air and braced himself before looking up at the horrific sight. "Frieza! Stop it!" he pleaded.

"Ah-ah. I'm not done yet. Didn't your mom teach you it's rude to cut the queue?" replied Frieza casually.

The newly transformed alien then proceeded to further torment the helpless young Saiyan by shifting his head up and down in sadistic pleasure, drawing more blood and making Goten quickly drift into unconsciousness. Despite that, he tried his best and with all his might not to show pain; just as his timeline's Gohan would never show his vulnerable side to him, he too had resolved to be strong in front of his 'little' brother. Besides, his little sacrifice might be able to awaken Gohan's hidden power, and for that to work he needed to stay alive long enough.

"Trunks! Don't just stand there… please, help Goten!" Gohan shouted plaintively, but the boy in question stayed still like a stone statue, too shaken to even move. Seeing his friend do absolutely nothing, he beseeched Vegeta, and even Dende, for help, but having been seized by shock neither sprang into action.

After a minute which felt like an agonising eternity, Frieza finally decided to end his little game since his face had been partially covered in Goten's blood. He flung the helpless preteen away by swinging his head downward, sending him plummeting into the emerald sea, far from everyone's reach. Trunks finally recovered from his shakes, and just in time; seeing his friend plunging into the ocean he promptly dashed to retrieve him before he was lost to the unfathomable depths.

Unfortunately Frieza saw Trunks's action. He intended to blast him away, preventing him to come to his friend's aid, by shooting an energy wave at him. "Not on my watch!"

"No, Frieza! Don't!" Gohan exclaimed. He had had enough; there need not be any more fatalities!

Finding Gohan's rage amusing, Frieza taunted him, "Aw, the baby brother's mad. How cute—"

"I SAID DON'T!"

Trunks stopped. For an instant, but only that instant, he noticed something that felt really familiar coming from Gohan; when he looked up, he saw the tyke already jabbing Frieza continuously on his stomach with all his might, but somehow he knew there was more to it than that. As much as he would like to see what it was, he knew he had a more important matter at hand; he didn't need to be told twice to retrieve Goten before he drowned, and so he too dove into the cold depths.

Since he could still sense his best friend's energy signature—although it was slowly diminishing—it wasn't exactly hard for Trunks to find him despite the great depths of the sea which got darker and darker with every metre down. All that mattered now was time. It was imperative that Trunks got to him before it was too late. 'Hang in there, Goten… I'm sorry you had to take what was meant for me…' he said inwardly, filled with regret, 'If only I were more attentive…'

Finally, Trunks found Goten resting on the ocean floor some twenty metres beneath the surface, his blood diffusing like dye into the water around him. He made his way toward the twelve-year-old, scooped him up, and rushed back to the surface without even thinking of decompression sickness. Upon getting out of the water, Trunks quickly flew to a nearby island, took cover in some kind of a narrow ravine, and laid his unconscious friend on the ground, exercising extra care not to worsen his already serious wound. Had Goten been full-blooded human, he would have checked in with King Yemma at this point, trapped for eternity in the Other World of the past.

"There you go, Goten, I've gotcha," he said. He reached to his pocket for the senzu pouch, took the last bean, and gently shoved it into Goten's mouth. "Here, you're gonna be fine. C'mon, Goten… you're a strong one. Dontcha dare give up on me, you gotta eat the senzu."

Goten managed to swallow the miracle drug, an action which sealed his survival. Trunks let out a huge sigh of relief when he the wound on Goten's side slowly close and heal as though nothing had happened. The younger halfling finally regained consciousness, but having been underwater for quite some time, he sat up and violently coughed out water.

"Whoa, easy there, Goten," said Trunks while patting Goten's back to help clear his lungs of water. When his coughing fit finally stopped, he just sat where he was while trying to catch his breath. He was slightly disoriented, but otherwise perfectly well.

"Uh… Trunks?"

"Hey there, buddy," Trunks smiled, "You're okay, don't worry."

"Oww… that one really did a number on me…" rubbing his side, the messy-haired boy whined, "And look at this! There's a hole on my shirt!"

"Um, yeah, of course. That's where you got stabbed. What's the problem?"

"Mom's gonna be angry about this."

Hearing the response Trunks could feel a bead of sweat running down his temple. Seriously, sometimes he couldn't understand the way his friend thought. "Goten, you… know there was a hole on your stomach, right?" he asked in bewilderment, "And you worry about one on your shirt more than that?"

"Like you dunno my mom, Trunks. She'd think a moth did this and grill me all night for not keeping my wardrobe clean. Not to mention those shrunken shirts… next time you get to be my shield…"

Hearing the last sentence, regret once again overcame Trunks. It was true that Goten might be alright now, but there was no denying the fact that he had to endure the pain because of him, so apologising was the most natural thing to do. "You bet. I'm sorry, Goten… I'll be more careful next time."

"Hee-hee, I'm just kidding, Trunks. I guess you'd do the same," Goten shrugged, but he earned a nod of affirmation from his friend. He then examined his surroundings, looked at the sky, and asked after not seeing his brother anywhere, "Where's Gohan? Is he okay?"

"He's fighting Frieza now. He got really mad at him when I went to get you. And by mad, I mean really, really angry. He just burst out."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I guess he really looks up to you, you know. But there was something else."

"What is it?"

"Well, you see… when he went bananas, I felt this—"

Before Trunks could even finish his sentence, their conversation was cut off by a faint scream only the keenest of ears could perceive. No questions needed to be asked; they both knew it came from Gohan, and it was more than a cue for them to leap into action. Intent on saving the distressed child, Trunks and Goten went out of their hiding place and shot up to the sky for a better vantage point. Sure enough, in no time they were able to locate Frieza who surprisingly was quite far away from where Trunks had resurfaced after saving Goten.

It seemed things had somehow taken an unexpected turn during Goten's recovery. On the ground not far away from Frieza lay Vegeta with numerous bloody wounds all over his body. Outwardly he appeared as good as dead, but a quick energy check revealed he was still bravely clinging onto life. Trunks was slightly shaken at the sight, but when he saw Dende cowering in fear behind a boulder he relaxed a bit. As long as the little Namekian managed to stay out of trouble, there was still chance. However, more frightening than that was the situation Gohan was in; by Frieza's feet lay the little kid, fragile as glass, with the tyrant looming over him and ready to shatter him into pieces by crushing his head with his three-toed, talon-like foot.

"Oh my gosh, Gohan! Hurry, Trunks! We gotta help him!"

"I'm on it. How dare he do that to my dad!"

"What's wrong? What happened to all that bravado you showed earlier?" said Frieza in a very patronising tone. Elated at the prospect of disposing of three of the meddlers who had dared to oppose him in one go, he gave a sadistic cackle. "To be honest, I was expecting a bit more than that, but oh well, it's past your bedtime. Sweet dreams, kid!"

"Heads up, freak show!"

"What?"

Before Frieza was able to crack Gohan's skull with his deadly trample, he was interrupted by two youngsters flying his way at high speed, attempting to slash him with what looked like a blade of energy on their arms. He dodged just in time by flying upward, but during that split second Goten managed to slice off a portion of his tail. Cringing in pain, the overlord perched himself on a nearby spire of rock to see who exactly had the guts to maim him like that; he was surprised to say the least when he saw the boy who was supposed to be dead, accompanied with his friend, hovering in the air just a few good metres in front of him.

"How dare you hurt Gohan! Fight me first!" exclaimed Goten. It was supposed to look intimidating but with his cheeks puffed with air he looked just like a little kid who was in a silly argument over some sweets. However, it was also an indication that the childish preteen was as alive and kicking as ever. His cheerful and innocent love for battle had returned, and along with Trunks he was ready to show the tyrant that the little incident earlier was nothing more than a lucky strike.

"You! But how? You were shish kebab!" Frieza growled, irritation and disbelief present in his voice. For all he knew that boy should've succumbed to massive exsanguination and septic shock. "Rahhh… scum tricksters… you're just like weeds! I need to get you by the root!"

"Heh! If you think you've gotten rid of us, think again!" Trunks smirked smugly, "Meet my best buddy, Goten! He's the strongest boy there is!"

"You big jerk! It hurt a lot, you know! But at least now we know those horns aren't for decoration purposes only."

"I bet the males of his race are like elks. You know, those with huge antlers?"

"Ooh, yeah, I know! They show off their antlers and the winner gets to mate with the female."

"It seems you paid attention in class after all, eh Goten?"

At this point Frieza was fuming in indignation. Never in his life had he been compared to an animal, and to think those words came from mere children? Now that was insult at its best. His heart consumed in fiery rage, he clenched his fists in pure annoyance. "You little… I didn't come here to be insulted!"

With his sharp wit and venomous tongue, a comeback had already popped out in Trunks's mind. Putting his hands on his hips and leaning forward, he said, "Oh? So where do you usually go?"

"Gahhh… how dare you! Fool! YOU'RE DEAD MEAT!" Frieza finally snapped.

"Woo-hoo! Catch us if you can!"

The Saiyan hybrids were successful in provoking Frieza to follow them. They had a plan, and for that plan to work they needed to distract him long enough. Before they took off into the distance, Goten signalled to Dende on the ground, instructing him to take Gohan and Vegeta to safety and heal them to full health with his power. The seriousness of the situation was enough to prompt him to do as said; he quickly retrieved the unconscious Saiyans and took them a good distance away from Frieza's reach. If he succeeded in his task, they would be rewarded twofold: restoration and amplification of their strength thanks to zenkai. It was a shame it stopped working once a Saiyan attained his Super form for the first time, which meant Trunks and Goten would never benefit from it.

With the injured out of the picture, the hybrids had the stage for themselves. They relentlessly mocked and ridiculed Frieza who was hot on their tails and were actually enjoying every bit of anger the alien exhibited. They twirled around each other while blasting through the sky, laughing in insane glee, but stopped upon seeing Frieza starting to lag behind.

"Goten, I think we're too fast for him."

"Yeah! He's no fun! Let's just confront him."

Since they had to keep him in their field of vision to prevent him from interfering with Dende's healing process, the mischievous friends decided to approach him and up the fun by factor a notch or two. To their amusement, Frieza was actually panting due to exhaustion from trying to keep up with them. Trunks and Goten hovered very casually in the air in front of the hulking giant, intent on engaging him in close-quarters combat.

"Hello! Missed me?" asked Trunks in a cheerful voice.

"C'mon, you can do better than that," Goten joined, "Let's play some more. Can I go first, Trunks?"

"Yeah, go ahead, but don't overdo it. He still has two more forms we haven't seen yet."

"Okay. You want me to go for the offensive or defensive?"

It seemed Frieza was too impatient to wait, so he gave Goten the answer: he needed to go for the defensive. Without giving any cue he tried to skewer the spiky-haired boy with his horn just like earlier, but this time luck wasn't on his side; he simply stepped aside with his superhuman reflexes. Less than pleased, Frieza followed with a barrage of Death Beams, but no single one of them was able to connect. Countless punches, kicks, and tail slaps later, Goten still hadn't taken any damage while the brash overlord was slowly running out of stamina.

"This is it?" the halfling mumbled, "This isn't very fun…"

"Goten, don't be greedy! Tag out!" exclaimed Trunks who was at this point raring to enter the fray.

"Okay. I'm getting bored anyway."

The two hybrids quickly Afterimaged, making it look like they instantly switched with each other without actually moving. Trunks wasted no time in going for the offensive; he slowly whittled down Frieza's defences with his light but extremely fast blows, taking extra care not to get too excited and kill him by accident. Leaving absolutely no opening for retaliation, he then proceeded to bombard Frieza with a barrage of energy blasts, but even with suppressed power the attack was too much for the transformed alien. It was evident now that he and Goten were way out of Frieza's league, and the space emperor was now actually feeling scared of losing the battle and got distracted. Seeing the opportunity, Trunks delivered a stronger kick to his foe's face, sending him staggering backward.

"Yeah! That's it!" exclaimed Goten in excitement.

"See, you just got lucky because I wasn't careful. You stand no chance against us!" said Trunks. He even went as far as sticking out his tongue.

Having had enough of being made fun of, Frieza was left with no choice but to transform. He was resolved not to fall victim to yet another of these little runts' dirty tricks, as he put it. "Rahhh… you're irritating me! Okay, brats, playtime's over! It's about time I finished you off!" With that, he descended to the ground and settled himself on a boulder. "Watch carefully, because this is a one-time show. There won't be any encores if you miss this one… hmhmhm."

"Ooh, he's transforming again! What do you think he'll look like?" asked Goten.

"How should I know?" came Trunks's reply, "Just watch."

And just like before, it started with the emission of an burst of energy out of his body, but this time it took a form of some kind of dark, evil aura. Frieza let out a cry as his morphological structure began to alter, accompanied with strange sounds of crackling bones. The energy output was so intense it attracted Dende and the fully recovered Gohan and Vegeta; they came just in time to witness the denouement of Frieza's second transformation.

"Gohan! You're okay!" Goten sighed in relief. Trunks too slightly relaxed upon seeing his now healed father.

"Yeah, thanks to Dende…" replied the 'younger' brother, "But what's Frieza up to? This energy is… unreal…"

"You fool… he's transforming again! Look!" Vegeta pointed at the figure below them.

Sure enough, Frieza was starting to undergo some drastic changes. First, three huge spikes sprouted from his back and next second, the white carapace covering his shoulders shot out, forming some kind of shoulder pads. He had to hunch forward due to the strain, and to say his appearance was intimidating was not enough to accurately describe the crazy sight. The most grotesque part of all, however, was to come: with disturbing crunching sounds, his horns retracted and got replaced by spikes on either side. From Frieza's restrained screams it was obvious that he was in utter discomfort as the transformation slowly progressed, and with one final cry—much to Trunks and Goten's utter shock—his round skull became cylindrical and abruptly elongated backward in a very disturbing manner.

"YIKES!"

For the second time, Frieza had transformed. There was no mistaking that his power level easily more than doubled from that of his previous form. Not wanting to repeat their mistake and knowing full well Frieza might pull of all kinds of strange attacks in his equally strange form, Trunks and Goten kept their guard up and positioned themselves in front of Vegeta, Gohan, and Dende. The latter two, however, were seized by dread as the hunchback slowly flew up to greet them.

"Lookie, Trunks. He's a see-no-marf," whispered Goten.

"It's xenomorph, idiot," Trunks rolled his eyes.

"Whatever! Gee… I hope he only has one mouth."

"And I hope he doesn't bleed acid."

"Hmph! It's about time that freak transformed again," the flame-haired Saiyan scoffed. Having gained yet another zenkai boost from his near-death experience earlier, he was anxious to test his newfound power. "Whatever you brats call him, I'll show him what happens when one messes with a Saiyan!"

* * *

><p>"Thank you for waiting," Frieza greeted. Despite being monstrous in appearance, he acted with regal composure just like in his first form, and this change in behaviour unnerved everyone present. "Now, I may not win any beauty contest, but that is beside the point. No one has ever seen me in this form, and no one shall live to tell about it."<p>

"Enough of your talk! Show me what you can do!" Vegeta growled.

"Well then, I see someone is anxious to commence. In that case, shall we begin?"

Silence followed, keeping everyone on their toes. It looked like Frieza was having his own sweet time of using this period of calm to decide who his victim would be, further increasing the tension in the air.

Unfortunately, and unbeknownst to the warriors, Frieza was escalating the tension on purpose. He chuckled devilishly, gaining a strange look from Trunks and Goten. Their heightened anticipation proved to be their weak point; while their gaze was fixed at Frieza, who was standing in front of them, the xenomorph-lookalike suddenly Afterimaged behind all of them when they least expected it, bypassing every line of their solid defence with confounding speed. Before their eyes were even able to follow the action, Frieza delivered a swift roundhouse kick which sent his unlucky victim plummeting to the ground. Emotionlessly, he then proceeded to dispatch him by hurling an explosive sphere onto his body. Even if he survived the explosion, the impact with the ground due to falling from such a great height would kill him for sure. For all intents and purposes, much to everyone's horror, the kid Namekian had perished.

"DENDE! NOOOOO!"

"Heh heh heh… have I not told you? No one who finds out about this form lives," Frieza smirked sadistically, "No one. And all of you shall meet your end in this time and place!"

"You… monster!" Trunks growled. Having almost lost control of himself over the death of their healer, the thirteen-year-old charged without thinking at Frieza. Need for vengeance clouding his mind, he threw his punches and kicks, all of which failed to connect due to lack of judgment.

Goten, fully understanding that Trunks wouldn't have any chance if he didn't calm himself down, joined in the fray in an attempt to help his friend regain his composure although he himself was struggling to keep his mind at peace. Seeing their fruitless efforts, Goten was left with no option; he needed to go Super although it meant voiding the agreement he had made with Trunks on their way here. However, the tyrant managed to catch him off-guard before he could even prepare to transform, knocking him down onto the ground with an acrobatic reverse somersault. Trunks, too, got distracted by the attack; Frieza quickly seized the split second to swat him away with his bulky tail, sending him tumbling down the sky near Goten. It looked like Frieza had finally managed to make short work of the halflings.

"What is the matter? It seems exhaustion finally catches up with you," said Frieza. Not wasting any time, he prepared to punish the boys with a barrage of Finger Beams before they had the chance to recover. "Relay my greetings to your little green friend in the Other World and tell him I said hello!"

When he was about to execute Trunks and Goten, though, he had to dodge a surprise energy blast, forcing him to cancel his attack. "Who had the guts to do that?" he growled, "Can you not see I am having a serious matter at hand here?"

When he turned, he was surprised to see a very angry Gohan. In his obsidian eyes was present a hint of green. "You… hurt my brother… you killed my friend!" Gohan snarled, rage and malice brimming in his voice, "What else do you want, YOU ANIMAL?" It was evident that the little boy was trying his best to keep himself from exploding, but with that energy flowing out of his body it might only be a matter of time before he finally did.

"Brother? Well, well. Look who decides to show up. What can you possibly—"

"I HATE YOU, YOU MONSTER!"

Frieza never had the chance to finish; he was cut mid-sentence with a surprisingly powerful kick to the neck, enough to send him flying some ten good metres away. The hybrid kid quickly continued his onslaught with a rapid succession of punches to the gut followed with a heavy finish. The final blow made Frieza grunt in pain and double over, creating an opportunity for Gohan to proceed with the finishing touch.

"Someone like you…" he said as he ascended high up in the sky. Holding his palms above his head, he charged an enormous yellow sphere of energy and pushed it toward Frieza—he was still recovering from Gohan's blows—with all his might. "… deserves to DIE! MASENKO!"

Gohan's attack travelled at extremely high speed and hit Frieza head-on. The alien found himself hugging the surface of the enormous wave and was actually being pushed down toward the ground. The sheer force of the Masenko really caught him by surprise; how could this boy recover that easily after having almost been beaten into a pulp earlier? He was struggling to keep his mind straight as he focused his powers to fend off the wave, but the boy seemed to have powered up even more. Unbeknownst to Frieza, Gohan's eyes had changed colour into viridian and his hair had assumed a golden hue.

Gohan had ascended.

"I've had enough of you, Frieza! FULL POWER!"

Not so far away, two Saiyan hybrids were struggling to get back on their feet after some crazy pummelling. Aside from some scratches and cuts, they sustained no injuries whatsoever, thanks to Saiyan toughness.

"Ugh… man, what a blow…" the lilac head complained. He then turned his head to the sky to make sense of what was taking place and almost couldn't believe his own eyes upon seeing Gohan in his transformed state. "Huh? Goten, look… it's Gohan!"

"Yeowch… is he okay?" asked Goten. He too turned his head up and produced the same reaction as his friend did. "Oh my goodness, Trunks… Gohan… he's…"

"Yup, there's no mistaking it… but he still can't control it… so that's what I felt from him earlier…"

At this point Goten's eyes were glimmering with adoration. Instead of his father, it was his brother who had the privilege of being the first person to become Super Saiyan in thousands of years, and at the tender age of five? Now that was some incredible feat. "My brother's… a Super Saiyan! Gohan, you're so cool!"

They continued watching the energy skirmish between Gohan and Frieza. Vegeta, too, was watching; Gohan's ascension came as a total shocker to him. He was supposed to be the first one to attain that fabled transformation, but now here he was, presented by the fact that a mere child had robbed him of that opportunity. And to think that child was only half-Saiyan, and the son of a third-class warrior? To say it was a blow to his pride was an understatement of yet another understatement. 'That… that brat! Why? How could he do that?' he growled inwardly, 'What is it that he possesses that I don't? I, Vegeta, the Prince of Saiyans, have been surpassed by a weakling? How is this possible?'

As time passed, though, the strain of ascension caught up and Gohan was slowly losing to Frieza. After two minutes of struggle, Gohan's transformation was unexpectedly undone; he couldn't maintain his outflow of energy. Seeing this opportunity, Frieza mustered all the strength he had left and bounced the Masenko back to the helpless little Saiyan, and with no energy left Gohan could only hope for a miracle to survive…

"Begone, urchin!"

"Kamehameha!"

And a miracle did come.

A bluish white wave pushed the Masenko away from its intended trajectory. The combined wave travelled into the sky and finally exploded high above the ground, creating a brilliant display of fireworks. Gohan's life was saved by his brother's intervention.

"Phew… that was close…" Goten sighed and wiped his cold sweat off his forehead. He then flew up to the sky to Gohan's aid. He looked miserable and surely wouldn't mind some help now. "Are you okay, Gohan? Gosh, that's one heck of power you got there…"

"Goten… do I… slow you down?" the 'little' brother panted in exhaustion.

"Hey, whydcha say so? That was great, you know!" Goten ruffled his brother's hair, "Now just stay still, I'll give you some of my energy."

"… thanks, big brother…"

With that, Gohan smiled, let Goten cradle him, and relaxed himself to combat the exhaustion. Of course, he was still a five-year-old tyke, and the strain caused by his ascension—although only for a short period of time—must have caused him to expend almost all of his energy. Goten quickly flew back to where Trunks was and kindly asked his best friend to channel some of his energy to Gohan, which he gladly did. Both Trunks and Goten smiled at Gohan's incredible prowess, and they were proud of the little boy.

Frieza, also exhausted from Gohan's sudden and unexpectedly potent attack, settled himself once again on the ground. He began to assess the situation. 'Quite strange… that little one should not have such immense power. After recovering from near-death, it is as if he is a different person altogether…' Frieza thought. He was wondering who this little boy was and where he came from, and suddenly it just made sense: the zenkai. That explained everything; Frieza finally realised there was Saiyan blood coursing through Gohan's veins. 'But whose child is he? I am sure I have torched the whole barrel of monkeys except for Vegeta, Nappa, and Raditz twenty years ago. How did he survive?' He then turned his face to the full-blooded Saiyan hovering in the air. 'He looks nothing like either that misfit or Nappa… so is he Raditz's child? There is something there which reminds me of him…' he turned again, but this time to Goten who was tending to Gohan, '… just like that one. So it is true they are brothers.'

"Hey, Goten, I think he's looking at you," said Trunks.

"Gee, I don't wanna wake up in the middle of the night and see that face…" Goten replied as he felt a shiver running down his spine.

'It is about time they perished. Things must not end this way!' Frieza resolved. He then hollered for the warriors to hear, "Well, now, it seems you have succeeded in pushing me to my limits! I take it that the child's puny attack just now was your collective death wish. It is beyond me why you are in such a hurry to die, but that matters not. I shall grant your final request! Consider yourself honoured because nobody has ever seen my true form!"

"Now we're talking. Let's stop with the games and get this over with already!" shouted Trunks. There was only one more transformation to behold, and he was sure it would be nothing they couldn't handle.

"You sure are a loudmouth, but you shall tremble in fear as I torture you very slowly. Brace yourselves for the ride of a lifetime!" Frieza warned. He then propelled himself up to the sky so the others could behold his final transformation and see hell with their own eyes. "After seeing what I am capable of in this next form, the definition of word 'terror' in dictionaries shall not be adequate to represent what you are about to experience!"

* * *

><p><em>Post-note: Happy Easter to those who celebrate!<em> :)


	12. Secret Measures

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Happy reading!_

* * *

><p>"Oh? Well c'mon, then! Show us what you've got already!"<p>

Frieza's boast about his so-called ultimate transformation was met by Trunks and Goten's anticipation, especially the former, and when he did they would finally engage in a no holds barred, all-out match. Well, not exactly since they still needed to avoid going Super to conceal their true identities from Vegeta, but that was beside the point; after Frieza's transformation, Trunks and Goten's non-lethal approach would be rendered obsolete. Once they had completed their objective—which was to see all Frieza's forms—they would need to dispatch him for good.

There was someone who wasn't too happy at the moment, though. "Shut it, kid! You've seen his power and you've got no chance against him! It is I who will defeat him, not you, not that little brat!" Vegeta roared. He was still delusional and consumed by envy over Gohan's transformation earlier.

"He's right about Frieza's power. We should be careful, Trunks," Goten warned, "If something goes wrong, there's no one to heal us."

"I will. Don't worry, Goten," Trunks assured that everything would be just fine, "We've been through Majin Buu, we'll get through Frieza. You gotta be careful too, okay?" he asked, earning him a nod from the Son.

From the sky, Frieza hollered. Having a somewhat narcissistic personality, he insisted that the warriors quit their yapping and set their sight on his transformation. "Behold, I am going to show you terror greater than death itself! You would wish I should have killed you earlier! Ahahaha!"

"Here it comes…" said Goten in anticipation.

Suddenly, Frieza gave an ear-splitting scream, surprising everyone present—even Gohan who was being reenergised. The ridiculous efflux of energy emanating from the horrific alien was enough to actually stir a strong gust of wind, and the next second it turned into a rushing tempest. Amid the confusion, Trunks and Goten could see the outlines of Frieza's body glowing red like hot iron rods, and with another scream his entire body became lighter. Upon more careful inspection, it looked like his carapaces and skin had hardened into some kind of a shell; one could actually see some cracks on the milky white exoskeleton. Clearly delighting at the prospect of finally exhibiting his true might and power, Frieza let out a maniacal laugh.

"That… energy…" Gohan stuttered, "Goten, Trunks… we gotta move away!"

"You're right, Gohan… we need to get moving!" the brother concurred, "Let's go, Trunks, or it's gonna blast us away!" His proposition was met with a nod of acknowledgement from Trunks and they flew away to an island away from Frieza's position. Vegeta joined them shortly afterward.

It seemed they evacuated just in time; as they touched down, an enormous white sphere of energy formed in the air where Frieza was, vaporising everything—even solid ground—within five metres from it. The scene finally concluded with a giant explosion which whipped up yet another burst of gale and created thick smoke at its wake, obscuring the epicentre of the entire ruckus who was the space monster himself.

Perceiving the intense power level emanating from within the smoke, the middle halfling could only gulp nervously as he felt his confidence leaking away from him. "I've got a bad feeling about this… Trunks, this time we really need to be careful…"

"Mm-hmm… there's no margin of error for this one. You watch my back, and I'll watch yours, okay?"

Goten affirmed. Then, after noticing Gohan's energy had been fully restored, he helped his brother to return to his feet. "Easy there… right, there you go. Feeling better?" he asked.

"Yeah. Thanks, Goten," Gohan nodded as he heaved himself up, "But… Frieza…"

The hybrid trio looked up, keeping their guards up in anticipation of whatever it was that was hiding inside. A breeze then picked up, the smoke cleared up, and finally Frieza's final form was unveiled; the warriors were all surprised upon seeing someone—or something—radically different from what they had seen previously. There, suspending in mid-air, was a sleek, slender lizard-like creature with streamlined physique. His skin was pure white—all traces of pink from his previous forms were gone—with purple shells on some parts of his body, most notably the head. Despite the fiery red irises, his eyes perpetually cast a freezing cold glare, true to his name. This transformation had healed him of his injuries as well, since his tail which had been chopped off by Goten's Beam Sword was now intact. In every way, Frieza had regressed and now seemed more docile than ever.

"Well, at last, Frieza finally decides to show himself," Vegeta grunted. He even made some remarks on how the alien certainly didn't look so tough anymore.

Gohan too did a double take. He was expecting something more monstrous than before, but the sight of a more anthropomorphic being hovering in the air made him slightly more relaxed. "That's the new him? Yeah, I agree with Vegeta… we might win!" he exclaimed, hope filling his voice.

"No, Gohan… dontcha feel his power level?" Goten gritted his teeth. Now he started to falter; he knew Frieza would be strong, alright, but he hadn't expected him to be this strong.

"And Frieza wouldn't have transformed if this form is weaker than the previous ones," also sporting a grim look, Trunks continued, "I didn't think he could be this powerful… he might be even stronger than us now…"

Seeing his normally happy-go-lucky brother and friend hesitate, doubt suddenly rushed into Gohan's mind. Deep down he was hoping they weren't being serious, but the expression on their face said otherwise. Was there any chance for them to walk out of this battle alive? Would he be able to avenge Piccolo, Dende, Krillin, and the others who had fallen a few months ago? He felt extremely overwhelmed by now and would very much like to let it all out, but after seeing Goten and Trunks constantly fight alongside him, he wouldn't… because he couldn't. They had very willingly done more than what was necessary to help him, so he had to be strong. So what if Frieza was stronger than them? They outnumbered him! Four brains would surely beat pure brawns… right? His guess was as good as anyone else's.

The tension was just too heavy it seemed someone could scoop it from the air. No one dared to budge since unnecessary moves might well lead to being killed; they continued to observe the white alien who slowly descended from the sky and made his landing on a neighbouring island, but even then he did absolutely nothing. Having learned from their earlier mistake, this time the warriors also exercised extra caution to their surroundings, especially behind them, and that was where they promptly turn to when they saw Frieza vanish from their sight.

Bad move.

It turned out to be yet another sham from the cunning alien. He actually Afterimaged to where he had been, effectively not displacing at all. Before anyone could even turn around, Frieza pointed his index finger at someone and shot his dreaded purple Death Beam.

"Bang."

The beam was fast. Everyone was unprepared. It went past Goten on the front line. Past Gohan who was behind Goten. Past Trunks who finally realised their fatal blunder. At the very last second, just before the beam hit its target, the lilac-haired halfling threw himself toward the purebred Saiyan without thinking of the consequences.

"Vegeta! GET DOWN—GAH!"

"TRUNKS! NO!"

He succeeded in saving his father, but not without a cost. The beam grazed his upper arm, resulting in a somewhat large gash which didn't take long to start leaking out blood. Deeply concerned, the brothers rushed toward Trunks who was struggling to return to his feet. Vegeta, on the other hand, found himself at an impasse; he was grateful for Trunks's honourable deed but his pride wouldn't admit it, so he just stayed silent. What had he done to deserve a sacrifice from someone he didn't even know?

"Trunks!" Goten quickly came to his friend's aid and examined his arm, "Gosh, that's one heck of a gash. Are you okay?"

"Ugh… heh heh… don't worry, Goten, it's just a scratch…" the injured boy grinned although the wound stung more than he had expected.

"Can I see, Trunks?" asked Gohan. Trunks slightly grimaced as he extended his arm for the little Son to see. After a quick examination, he let out a sigh of relief and said, "You'll be fine. It didn't hit the brachial artery, so the bleeding will stop soon." His strange vocabulary for a kid his age earned him an amazed look from the elder hybrids. What an A-plus candidate for an A-plus scholar.

"Um, yeah, but we still need to patch this up to prevent infection… aw, my bookbag's on Frieza's spaceship!" Goten cursed his luck for forgetting about such an important matter. There was a first-aid kit inside; initially much to his annoyance, his mother insisted he always had it with him, but now how he wished that very same blasted kit was here. Short of options, he hastily tore his left sleeve to be used as a makeshift bandage. "Gee, first a hole, then a tear? Mom's gonna be seriously angry about this shirt…" he winced, unsure of what to say to his mother when she found out, "Gohan, I don't have antiseptic, but I think this should do… can you help Trunks with this? I'll cover you."

The 'little' brother nodded and promptly did as he was asked. While Vegeta and Goten kept their eyes on Frieza, he focused on the task at hand. Finally all the knowledge he obtained from the books could be applied to good use; to be an orthopaedist, having basic know-how on first aid was an advantage. Quickly but very skilfully Gohan wrapped the torn sleeve around Trunks's wound with just correct balance between too tight and too loose. "There, that should do it," he smiled, "Keep pressing it so the bleeding stops faster. Hee-hee."

Trunks was left in amazement at the efficiency and effectiveness of the little boy's treatment. "Whoa… howdcha do that?"

"I, uh… mom made me study all those things," Gohan rubbed the back of his head and blushed while smiling sheepishly. That particular behaviour was in the genes.

"I wish Goten were as smart as you."

"Don't say that, Trunks… Goten's a nice—"

"Greetings, boys."

The cold voice whose owner suddenly materialised from thin air nearby took everyone by surprise. Trunks and Gohan who were in mid-conversation quickly stood up, readied themselves in defensive stance, and joined Goten and Vegeta in their standoff against the evil overlord. No one needed to be reminded to stay sharp and not to let their guard down; Frieza's power level in this form had skyrocketed from that of his previous ones and to ensure their survival they had to work together as a team.

"If I may be honest with you, I am impressed by your ability to evade my attack just in time," Frieza gave a creepy smile, "But it is time to draw the curtain and let the final act begin. I promised to show you the new definition of 'terror', did I not?"

Silence followed, making it look like Frieza was giving a soliloquy or narration to a play. "It really is a shame a friend had departed before the play even begins," he continued, clearly referring to Dende. Gohan caught his implication and his heart started to burn with fury. "Well, what is done cannot be undone. We shall proceed as planned."

At this point Gohan could barely keep himself from exploding in rage. Goten noticed this; he pleaded to his brother not to fall into Frieza's trap. "Don't listen to him, Gohan. He's taunting you…"

"But… I can't let him talk about Dende like that!" replied Gohan.

Seeing indignation building in Gohan's heart, Frieza smirked in sadistic pleasure. "You seem especially anxious to get things started. Shall we begin?" he said, "Then let me provide some background about the plot. My power level in this form is sixty million."

"Heh, stop bluffing and let's get into action already," Trunks scoffed. Disapproving of his actions, Goten nudged him on the elbow and gave him a worried look.

"You shall see."

Again, the lizard-man vanished from their sight. Vegeta quickly ascended into the sky for a better vantage point while the trio immediately got into the defensive, anticipating an attack which could come from anywhere. After yet another half a minute of tense silence, Frieza suddenly appeared in front of Goten and kicked the unsuspecting boy away with a swift somersault. In shock and surprise, Gohan attempted to dash toward his brother, but Frieza intercepted him on his way. Trunks, however, managed to slip by. Frieza made no effort to stop him because he had an agenda: an interview with the little hybrid.

"So, what would you do now, Gohan?" said Frieza. He gave the word 'Gohan' a very condescending undertone. "It looks like you cannot do much without your brother, now, can you? Just like him and his friend, you are but a helpless little boy."

Gohan couldn't stand seeing his brother being hurt or insulted anymore and finally burst out in anger. "Don't you dare talk about Goten like that! You don't know him!"

When Gohan was about to charge at Frieza, Trunks and Goten suddenly Afterimaged in front of him, intercepting his strike. Much to his chagrin, the future fighters discouraged him from attacking alone—aggravating his indignation—but when Trunks insisted on working as a team to increase their chance for victory he realised his friend's point and complied.

"Decent teamwork, I see. Well, then, come at me with all your strength," Frieza made a beckoning gesture with his right hand, "Let us provide the audience a show of their lifetime."

The Son brothers maintained their defensive stance while waiting for Trunks's signal to commence their onslaught. Their plan was to attack him from three directions and hope some hits would connect. Yes, 'hoping' was the best plan they could come up with. They had underestimated Frieza big time and now, after seeing his confounding speed and strength in this form, they were in for a fight of their lives.

"You ready, Goten, Gohan?" asked Trunks who gained nods of acknowledgement from the brothers as his reply. After another period of silent judgement, the cerulean-eyed preteen finally gave a sign to proceed. "Let's go."

At Trunks's cue the half-Saiyans charged at the white-skinned alien, quickly assaulting him from different directions. They carefully delivered their well-calculated punches and kicks, but to their dismay their fists and feet only connected with thin air; Frieza was able to sway between the strikes, evading each and every blow while moving very gracefully and elegantly. Seeing their efforts were in vain, they each stepped back a few metres and fired a combined Masenko, Double Buster, and Kamehameha on Frieza. The resulting explosion sent debris flying everywhere and the resulting smoke and dust created a thick veil which obscured their target from view.

"Did we… get him?" asked Gohan.

"I can't tell…" Goten gulped nervously, "Let's just hope he's at least hurt by that one."

To their dismay, Frieza casually emerged from the smoke, unfazed and sustaining no injuries whatsoever. Their blast failed to stain his pure white skin, not even a scratch. "Nice fireworks, but you should try harder," he smiled wickedly.

How he was able to dodge all the attacks and withstand the explosion without breaking a sweat was starting to irritate Trunks. "Shut it, you! Get ready for the second round!"

Again, they charged at their opponent and repeated what they had done before, obviously to no avail. Laughing at the boys' foolhardiness, Frieza decided to finally involve himself in the dirty job; with just a simple, well-timed block, he swiftly turned the tables and became the one who went for the offensive and gave pressure to Trunks, Goten, and Gohan. His physical coordination and ability to multitask were something to be marvelled at, and it was evident from how his arms, feet, and tail seemed to move independently as though having a brain of their own. Frieza had no difficulties at all dealing with three opponents at the same time; clearly he was out of their league—even Trunks and Goten thought so—and if this kept up they knew they wouldn't get home in one piece.

"T-trunks! He wasn't lying when he said his power level is sixty million!" Goten panted, "He's… too strong!"

"Gah, darn it…" Trunks growled. He was struggling to defend himself while waiting for an opening, but so far there was none. "So this is what happens if you neglect your training for five years, huh…?"

Frieza then delivered a heavy blow to all three hybrids simultaneously which broke their guard and left them open for a moment. During that split second, the alien proceeded to quickly smash them away, sending them flying away from him.

"That is all? How very disappointing," he chuckled, "Then shall we proceed to—"

"Fight me now, Frieza!"

Without warning, Vegeta swooped down from the sky and forced Frieza away from the kids by immediately going to the offensive. It seemed his pride had gotten the better of him; he knew he possibly had no chance against Frieza since not even Trunks and Goten could land a single blow on him, but who knows? He just had a new zenkai activated not too long ago and he was raring to at least give his ex-employer a hard time. Again, there's no blaming a man for trying.

But even that power boost proved inadequate against Frieza. With just a flick of the finger—so to say—Vegeta was forced to go into the defensive, and it was revealed the lizard-man possessed some kind of terrifying psychokinetic abilities. Using that power he managed to restrain Vegeta's movements and pummel him while he was immobilised, giving him an almost unfair advantage. Things started to take an ugly turn of events when Frieza locked the poor prince in a ball of energy; he then proceeded to kick and punch the ball around as though it had been a volley ball before finally ending the game with a sharp spike to the ground.

"Look at that, Goten. Dad's losing…" Trunks kept his sight locked at the ruckus in the distance. He clenched his fists, angry at himself for not being able to lay even a finger on Frieza.

"Oh no…" Goten stooped his head, looking equally concerned, "We have to go Super, Trunks! We can't let this continue!"

"No chance! We'll need to explain it to dad later, and he won't be ready!"

"Well, what else should we do? If you have a better idea, you better spill it now!"

Goten was right. There was nothing else they could do other than transforming to up the ante… or was there? Suddenly, an idea just popped up in his mind. It was a wonderful idea; why hadn't they thought of it earlier? "Actually, I do…" he flashed a smirk, "I'll give you a hint. What breaks if the current in a circuit exceeds its safe level? Usually it's 13 amperes."

"This is no time for your jokes, Trunks! And what kind of question is that? Everybody knows it's a—oh my goodness," Goten finally caught Trunks's flow and in excitement, his eyes dilated to the size of a saucer. "I get it! Trunks, you're a genius! Let's go, let's go!" Not needing to be told twice, he quickly took his place a few metres to Trunks's right and adjusted his power level to match his.

Totally clueless of what was brewing in the time travellers' mind, Gohan could only watch in confusion as they stretched their arms to opposite directions. "What are you doing?"

"Just watch," replied Trunks, "Ready, Goten?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Fu…"

The half-Saiyans performed the first step of a Metamorese sacred dance, imagining themselves as two rivers flowing. As they shuffled closer toward one another, so did the river; they became narrower and narrower the closer they get to each other and, true to principle of continuity, flowed faster and faster.

"… sion…"

Seen from the front, the position of their knee and arms compounded with their mirror-image choreography presented a seemingly crisscrossing but strangely perfect symmetry. It wasn't exactly easy on the eyes—especially for first-time audiences—since it looked like a cross between traditional battle stance and ballet, but the flawless synchronisation between the dancers down to their breathing rhythms left absolutely nothing to be desired.

"HA!"

Eventually the rivers connected via narrow passes on their fingertips. The converging points collapsed under the pressure as the rivers that were Trunks and Goten flood into each other with an intense burst of light, creating a single powerful being. There, standing on the spot where the two warriors had been, was a bold-looking young boy clad in navy vest with yellow padding along the rims, white pants, and teal sash. For someone his age, his body was very toned and muscular, but what would catch everyone's attention was his wild-cut hairdo with unnatural hue not even genetics could create—black on the front and top, lavender on the sides and back. Despite the novelty of the situation, one couldn't deny that the unified entity, being a combination of two mighty youngsters, was overflowing with power beyond comprehension.

"Enter Gotenks!"


	13. Life Is Too Short Not to Enjoy

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Happy reading!_

* * *

><p>"Enter Gotenks!" proclaimed the fusion product with a voice which seemed to be a superimposition of his constituents'.<p>

To say the least, Gohan was bewildered by this turn of events. What kind of technique was this? A few moments ago he saw Trunks and Goten's index fingers connect before a burst of bright light blinded him, and the next second this boy just popped up into existence out of nowhere. Just what was exactly going on here? "Wh-who are you? Where are Goten and Trunks? What happened to them?" came his chain of questions.

"Goten and Trunks are here," Gotenks pointed at his heart with his thumb, "but we're neither one of them. We're the Grim Reaper of Justice, and we'll put an end to this freaky circus!" he said while pulling a somewhat ridiculous pose. Wasn't he aware he was now a combination of two preadolescents of thirteen and twelve years—is it safe to say he was twelve years and a half of age?—instead of bratty eight- and seven-year-old little boys? Little did he know, the pose he just displayed had a high chance of making it among the Great Saiyaman's so-called 'justice poses' several years to come. "Gohan, you stay back, we'll take it from here. Ciao!"

Gohan could only watch wide-eyed as Gotenks blasted off into the distance to Vegeta's aid. Even though it happened faster than it could have registered in his mind, what he was sure of was that their slim chance of victory had just been multiplied thousandfold with this guy's introduction. Plus, 'he looks so cool! When I grow up I wanna be like him,' he made a mental note.

From where he was Gotenks could see the proud prince lying injured on the ground. Frieza stood by him, seemingly ready to deliver his next chain of bizarre and ruthless attacks. He didn't need to be told what to do; quicker than lightning—an effortless feat for him, in complete contrast to Trunks and Goten—he dashed to get Vegeta, an act he successfully performed just before Frieza could lay his talon-like foot on him. "Excuse me, sir!" exclaimed Gotenks as he fetched his half father, reprieving him of his ordeal.

Needless to say, the emperor was astonished when he realised his foot met solid ground instead of flesh, and he became even more surprised to see Vegeta being tended to by a newcomer. Truth be told, he had actually seen his creation while he was tormenting his victim, but dismissed it as yet another little trick by Trunks and Goten. It looked like this boy decided to poke his nose in his affairs, so dispatching him would be the most natural thing to do. It was going to be nice and easy and everything would be smooth sailing—or so he thought.

Away from Frieza, Gotenks helped Vegeta return to his feet. To his relief, his wounds were nothing serious and required no intensive or immediate care, and for all intents and purposes he could actually rush back into battle. It would be foolish, however, to let him do that; the difference between his and Frieza's power level was astronomical and next time he might not be as lucky to escape with minor injuries.

"Who are you?" Vegeta demanded that the boy provide his identity, "And I didn't ask for your help! Why did you help me?"

Although Gotenks knew this particular Saiyan could be grumpy sometimes, his last sentence greatly surprised him. Who on earth would refuse being helped in times of distress? "Cranky dummy. You didn't complain when Trunks saved your life earlier, so why now?" he sighed, "Look, you just retreat for now. We'll take it—"

"WHAT?" Vegeta interjected with a roar when he heard the boy. Having unparalleled pride, he felt nowhere near pleased at how Gotenks was barking out orders. "No one tells me to stay back! I don't know what in the world you are, but you're in no position to tell me what to do!" Without further ado, he shot off to confront Frieza again.

"Vegeta, no! Stop!" Gotenks cried, but of course his effort was in vain. Actually, Vegeta was just being himself, and the only way to stop him was by force. "Tsk… stubborn son of a gun. Why is he always like that?" he glowered as he dashed toward the clash between the toxic boss and his disgruntled employee.

Just a glimpse of the battle was enough to tell anyone that there was no chance for Vegeta to win against Frieza; if he so wanted, the latter could dispose of the former any time with just a flick of his pinkie. Their battle dragged on with Vegeta being too stubborn to admit that he couldn't even land a single blow, and this unnerved Gotenks more than anyone else. He knew every time Trunks and Goten gave life to him, it would take only a brief moment before time wiped away his existence, and compounded for having given some of their energy to Gohan earlier he wasn't left with much time. Waiting for another hour was an option far from feasible; for all he knew, if he did wait, at the next hour they would all be in the Other World with no means of getting back. It was now or never: he had to act.

With that in mind, he Afterimaged between the contenders—at the wrong time; he found himself being on the receiving end of a forceful kick from Frieza which was originally meant for Vegeta.

"Ouch, we guess," he said calmly, but it was obvious he was being sarcastic. Although the kick landed smack dab on his face, he seemed completely unaffected, a sight which served as a testimonial of his superior power. He then casually pushed Frieza's leg away from his face and said, "Intermezzo, ladies and gentlemen. The show will resume in two minutes, so please use the time for toilet break."

"Intermezzo?" Frieza scoffed in irritation at the interruption, "Are you making fun of—"

Before Frieza could finish his sentence he was sent flying by an invisible—but surprisingly quick and powerful—energy blast which came as a total shocker to Vegeta and even the alien himself who immediately performed an aerial recovery. He was completely at loss of words; where did all that power come from? He knew who this boy was since he saw his creation, but the fact that his strength increased by a significant amount, how was that possible?

Gotenks saw Frieza's resentment and he smirked for having succeeded in vexing him. To further mar the previously invincible overlord's dignity, he stated authoritatively while pointing at him, "We said have your toilet break, so go and do your business."

Upset at the turning of events, Vegeta growled, "I told you, no one asked for your help! Now stay back, freak!"

"YOU stay back!" Gotenks went from jovial to fuming at Vegeta's annoying persistence, "You have no chance against him! We don't need another fatality. You know the Dragon Balls are—"

Of course the full-blooded Saiyan was totally unhappy of being instructed around like that. He clutched Gotenks's vest as he would someone's collar when threatening him and pulled the unfazed boy to mere centimetres from his face. "You idiot! True Saiyans fight alone!" he shouted his lungs out, "And listen. I'd rather die and stay dead than take orders from anyone, much less from a stranger from nowhere like you! Where do you think my pride is? I, Vegeta, am the Prince of—ARGH!"

"The Prince of Saiyans. We get it."

Being too exhausted, Vegeta didn't even notice a relatively small but immensely powerful fist aimed straight at his stomach before it hit, causing him to cringe in pain. Soon after, a swift chop landed on his nape; the force of the blow was enough to knock him out cold, his body now lying unconscious on the ground. This action made something click in Gotenks's head and he soon found himself reminiscing about both his creators' failed attempt to assist Vegeta before his noble sacrifice against Majin Buu.

"The first one was for Goten, and the other for Trunks. You did it to us before, so looks like we're even," Gotenks shrugged, "As we said, we'll take it from here, prince."

The fusion then brought Vegeta's senseless body over to Gohan, who was watching from the sidelines, and trusted him to look after him. In addition, he urged the kid to get as far away from the battle zone as possible since there was a good chance Frieza would be going in a fit of rampage which could cause massive collateral damage.

"No! Let me help you!" Gohan snapped. Thanks to his inquisitive mind, he insisted on staying behind to offer assistance if needed. He had a hidden agenda, though, and it was to see the cool guy in action.

"Look, Gohan, it's very dangerous," said Gotenks. He was unwilling to involve his half brother in the danger that was to come, but the adventurous Gohan was stubborn and kept forcing his decision. After taking a moment to weigh the pros and cons, he decided to let the little kid stay. "Alright," he said, "but we want you to just stay here. We'll be okay, we promise. And if things are getting crazy, you gotta take Vegeta with you and move away. Got it?"

That was all Gotenks needed to melt Gohan's stubbornness. The kid produced a wide grin and promised to do as said after being allowed to watch the ensuing battle which he knew was going to be epic. As Gotenks prepared to confront Frieza—he was actually rushing toward them, and didn't look happy—he exclaimed in excitement, "Yeah! Go for it, Gotenks!"

À la Instant Transmission, the young boy materialised right in front of Frieza, abruptly stopping him dead on his track. "Hello! Break's over, let's carry on with the show," he said while making a wide arc with his arms, "The audience is already cheering for us. Oh, the thrill! Yeah, let's hear it for us!"

Frieza wasn't pleased at the fused hybrid's crazy antics. "You are delusional. Anyway, despite your impertinent conduct you exhibited earlier, you deserve credit for taking care of that monkey for me," he pointed at Gotenks in a condescending manner, prompting a nonchalant "thank you" from him. He continued, "Yet another meddlesome locust is what you are, however, if you are attempting to do the same to me. I saw your birth from those pesky meddlers named Trunks and Goten and I must admit it was exuberant, but so what?"

"'So what'? Really?" Gotenks rubbed his nose, "Even after our impressive feat of knocking you off the stage?"

"You do not impress me in the slightest degree. You are but another insignificant face in the crowd."

"Ah-ah-ah, that's where you're wrong, psycho. We're the one the crowd faces."

"Absurd! Prepare to meet your demise!"

Exasperated, Frieza threw a straight at Gotenks's face but it was blocked. As though it wasn't bad enough for him, he did that very effortlessly, and it was evident from how he only used his index finger to absorb the full force of the blow, similar to how Goten had blocked a roughneck's punch in his first World Martial Arts Tournament battle five years ago.

"WHAT?" Frieza couldn't believe his eyes. Much to his chagrin, this boy's reflexes far surpassed his.

"Heh-heh. We'd be surprised too if we were you."

"You little…"

This would continue just like when Trunks, Goten, and Gohan stormed Frieza not more than half an hour ago, but this time Frieza was forced to take the hybrids' position. Every punch, kick, and tail slap he threw was blocked with unbelievable ease, so he created some space between them and shot a quick barrage of Death Beams at Gotenks. How dumbfounded Frieza was when he saw him swat every file of laser coming at him like insignificant mosquitoes while taunting him to do better than that. Irritated, he shot a full-powered version of the previous attack—it was just a single beam, but with considerably larger radius than the previous ones. Seeing this, Gotenks screamed a simple "yee-haw!" and poof went the beam. Frieza was cross beyond belief at how his opponent was actually savouring every moment of peeving him.

Despite his merriment, Gotenks grimaced upon realising an inconvenient truth. He would like so much to enjoy the game, but he couldn't drag the battle for long since it was a time-attack match instead of survival. Besides, he knew he didn't have much time remaining. 'Tsk, we gave a bit too much energy to Gohan. We're left with only ten more minutes…' he thought, 'Oh well. With our ultimate attack it's more than enough anyway. But it would be no fun if we just finish him off like that… hmm.' He brainstormed for an idea to make the fight more dramatic. It didn't take him long to find one, though, since Trunks and Goten's bottomless pit of crazy ideas were incorporated into his brain. "Alright then, this should do it. Yo, Frieza, let's play a game."

Completely unaware of what his foe was thinking, Frieza's left eye squinted slightly. "A game? You surely do not think we are in some kind of a show, do you?"

"That's not the way to accept an offer, but it seems you're interested," unheeding of the tyrant's annoyance, Gotenks took his reply as a 'yes'. In fact, he wouldn't take 'no' as an answer; whatever Frieza's reply was, he would have gone with his plan anyway. "Okay, the rule's real simple. If you can survive until our fusion wears off, you win. The prize? You're free to go and we won't disturb you anymore."

He was furious for not being taken seriously but decided to go with the flow nonetheless. "Well, fine. You should feel honoured. I do not always play stupid games, but to ignore one's death wish is rude, is it not?" he said, "And I do not know how long it takes until you split into two again, but if you are not careful, be assured that I shall split you myself… literally."

"Good, then it's settled. We're warning you, you won't be able to even lay a finger on us. Ten minutes," Gotenks showed both his open palms, "plus-minus ten percent tolerance, is how long we have before defusing, and that's more than how long we need to defeat you. And to make it easier for you, whenever we do melee we won't use our hands. How does it sound?"

"I recommend against it since you, or at least your constituents, know what I am capable of."

"Humour us."

"As you wish!"

Frieza immediately blitzed the crazy-haired boy with excellent coordination between his limbs, but he repeated the same mistake as the hybrids earlier: his attacks were too predictable. Again, he faked an Afterimage to trick his opponent and restrain him with his psychic power when he turned around, but Gotenks was able to see right through him and dodged the peculiar wave with little difficulty. True to his words, Gotenks hadn't used his arms at all since their so-called 'game' commenced; even though he was currently going for the defensive he was able to easily neutralise all of Frieza's blows with simple movements of his feet.

"Eight minutes. You're not all that, are you? We don't get it, what's so fearful about you?"

"Silence! I am Lord Frieza, no single one surpasses me!"

"Correction: no single one surpassed you. It looks like we just did. Does it make us Lord Gotenks?"

"You… you uncouth maggot!"

"Whoa, look at you. You're the one with the white skin."

Frieza's attacks became more and more erratic as he was slowly driven more and more indignant. Laughing maniacally at how easily the tables had completely turned, now it was Gotenks's turn to assault Frieza with his flurry of blows; he delivered all his kicks while crossing his hands over the chest, much like how Vegito dealt with Super Buu. To his displeasure there was almost no resistance, so he got bored really sooner than he had expected. Feeling through playing, he kneed the lizard-man very hard on the stomach, causing him to double over in pain, and stepped backward to prepare another attack.

"Six minutes," said Gotenks. His cheeks puffed as though air filled it, then—just like bubble gum—a white balloon-like substance could be seen coming out from his mouth. Gotenks blew it away so it floated freely in the air; to Frieza's disgust, a head, two arms, and a tail formed from it, creating some sort of a phantom-like being looking just like Gotenks himself, albeit infinitely paler, which immediately giggled in insane glee. "Howdcha like this one? Private, charge!" the boy instructed.

Like a soldier being commanded by his sergeant, the ghost obeyed without question. "Sir, yes, sir!" it said while giving a salute to its creator before dashing toward Frieza. When it got a few metres away from him, however, it slowed down considerably; it then hovered toward the overlord who was examining it in puzzlement and threw a slow punch at him.

"What can this puny creature possibly accomplish? Move aside!" Frieza swatted the phantom aside in irritation, "… what?"

Shame on Frieza.

Upon contact, the ghost—and Gotenks—flashed an impish grin. A bright light emanated from its body and, without warning, it produced a rather violent explosion. Completely unaware of its explosive properties, Frieza was within the blast radius when it blew itself up, causing him to howl in great pain while covering his face with his hand.

"Hahaha! You fell for it, dummy. We guess you've never heard of touch-sensitive explosives. Well, surprise, you just touched one!" exclaimed Gotenks, "You're lucky we've been slacking off for five years, or else it would've blown you to fun-sized bites!"

"You… little swindler! You shall not live to see another sunset!" Frieza growled. At this point he had lost his composure; it was clear that Gotenks had maimed his pride and dignity so severely.

"For your information, it's never night on Namek," Gotenks stated in a matter-of-fact tone. He then quickly blew a significantly larger bubble, easily ten times the size of the previous one, and from it formed a jumbo version of the Kamikaze Ghost. Even Gohan—who was still watching from the sidelines—was taken aback by the sheer size of this particular one. "Three minutes. After him, captain!"

"Sir!"

Just like before, the ghost dashed toward Frieza and slowed down before colliding. Now fully aware of what would happen if he made contact with it and the scale of explosion that would result if he did, he attempted to make his way around the ghost, intent on finishing him from a distance with a blast. "What a tomfoolery! The same trick—"

Before Frieza could get away, though, the humongous ghost suddenly split into countless miniatures of itself that quickly proceeded to arrange themselves carefully and form a sphere around Frieza, leaving only small gaps between them and effectively depriving the space emperor of every possible escape route. He couldn't believe his own eyes at the sight and could only brace himself, expecting a chain of brutal explosions, when the little ghosts charged at him…

"DARN YOU…!"

… but they never came.

Instead of explosions, the ghosts produced showers of colourful confetti on contact with him. Totally flabbergasted, he examined his body, did a double take, and sighed in relief upon learning everything was still intact.

And it proved to be a fatal mistake.

"Two minutes. This is the end for you, Frieza!" a voice cried from the sky. When Frieza turned his head to the source, Gotenks was there; the fusion held both his hands to his left, and a concentrated sphere of energy started to gather between them. It was then when Frieza realised the entire ghost affair had been a very elaborate, fool-proof feint, but it was too late. Gotenks quickly clasped his hands with index fingers aimed at his target, like a child pretending to use a gun, and said the name of the attack of his invention, "VICTORY KAMEHAMEHA!"

With that a very large and quick golden-blue energy wave shot out from Gotenks's fingertips. The speed at which the wave travelled was absolutely baffling; still in shock, Frieza had no time to dodge the incoming attack, so he focused his energy to block it. But even then it didn't take long for the energy wave to start overpowering him, and with another thrust of energy from Gotenks his guard finally broke and he found himself being pushed down into the depths of sea. Flashbacks of his life and horrible deeds began appearing in his mind, a sign that his end was near.

"Confounded pests! Th-this is impossible!" he cried, "I am the... the strongest being... in the u-universe! This is... NOT HAPPENING! OF COURSE IT IS NOT!"

"BON VOYAGE, FREAK SHOW!"

Gotenks fed a final burst of energy into his cannon, and his effort was rewarded with an explosion of magnificent scale deep down the sea. Of course, Mother Nature and physics wouldn't let such disturbance go unpunished; a ridiculously tall wall of water formed shortly afterward, prompting a wide-eyed reaction from the fused hybrid. He knew he had to act fast to fetch Gohan, but he saw him already high up in the sky, holding the still unconscious Vegeta in his hands; letting a sigh of relief for not having to worry about the tyke, he Afterimaged several times toward Frieza's spaceship to retrieve Goten's bookbag. It was a very tight race against the waves and time but he emerged victorious nonetheless, and he quickly propelled himself to the sky and flew near Gohan.

* * *

><p>His objective had been accomplished and he was no longer needed. Standing next to his half brother, Gotenks sighed as he watched the waves inundate and wash the land, just like what time would do to him soon; he only had less than half a minute remaining, and after that his existence would be wiped away. As for himself, he would be forced to return to the place where he belonged, deep inside Trunks and Goten.<p>

"HQ, do you read? Le spectacles est terminé," said Gotenks in a bittersweet tone. He flashed a smile as a drop of tear threatened to spill from his eye. Then, for the first time since his creation twenty minutes ago, he referred to himself in first-person perspective, indicating that although his actions were heavily influenced by his creators—whom, sadly, he had never met in person—he might have been a unique entity all along. "Trunks, Goten… thanks for giving me life. It's been so long, and I'm glad. Let's do this again sometime. Gotenks, over…"

A perfect ending had been written for the play. Just as he finished his sentence, a bright light engulfed Gotenks and he defused into his creators, cancelling his temporary existence. Acknowledging his great work, Goten flashed a victory sign to Trunks and vice versa.

"This is HQ. Copy that, Gotenks. Thank you for a job well done," replied Trunks to the now imaginary boy as he looked up the sky, gaining a sincere smile from his spiky-haired friend, "We promise, this won't be the last time you get to see the world. Trunks and Goten, over and out."

* * *

><p><em>Post-note: Based on its Japanese name, Trunks's attack, Big Tree Cannon, should have been translated to Victory Cannon, so I took the liberty to make a small change. Besides, it sounds way cooler and makes much more sense :P<em>


	14. Family and Friends

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Happy reading!_

* * *

><p>"So it's really over?"<p>

"Positive."

"Our Gohan said Frieza survived dad's Spirit Bomb in our time."

"You don't believe in yourself?"

"I didn't say that… whydcha ask?"

"Well, think about it, Goten," said Trunks to his friend as he laid his father on the damp ground, "We just unleashed our best attacks, combined, when we fused, on him. There's no way he could've survived that! And can you sense him?" he asked, to which Goten replied by shaking his head after a quick check, "Good, that means he's gone! Hey, c'mon… we've done what we had to do, just like you said. We're the heroes of the universe!"

"You're right, Trunks," Goten smiled at his friend's remark of being heroes. At long last he was finally able to carry out a feat on par with that which Gohan had done back in his timeline. "So are we gonna celebrate?"

"Yeah. Let's return to our ship and tackle whatever's left in the fridge."

"But we'll run out of food for our way back home."

"Don't worry, I brought five capsules of food. I always prepare well for big trips," declared the lilac head proudly as though it had been a major accomplishment.

"Yeah, except the camera," Goten retorted with a roguish grin he rarely ever showed. He would only exhibit that particular smile when he thought his comeback at Trunks was successful and there hadn't been many occasions that it had happened. "And you still say you're well-prepared?"

Trunks shot Goten a strange look. Was he challenging him? Last time he checked, it was Goten who had volunteered to bring the camera with him. "Oh yeah? I can say the same. You didn't prepare anything back then, right?" he countered, earning a pout from the raven-haired boy, "I dunno how you remembered to bring your game but not the camera."

"Well, it's yours! Why do I have to be responsible for something that's not mine?"

"Because you volunteered, that's why!"

And just like way back yonder in the days of old, they were in no time engaged in childish arguments over one stupid, trivial, insignificant matter. Eyes fastened to each other's gaze, tension began rising between them as they lunged toward one another with all their strength—or what was left of it. The next moment both boys rolled on the ground; fist met fist and foot met foot, they were locked in an even struggle. This tussle would continue for at least two minutes, but apparently no one was going to emerge as the winner.

"Uh… guys," a soft voice interrupted from nearby, "What are we gonna do now?"

Gohan's question stopped whatever it was that the future hybrids were doing. To tell the truth, they had been too engrossed in the idea of celebration they forgot about the little halfling who had been there all along. Feeling totally abashed for having exhibited such puerile behaviour in front of Gohan—heck, he might be even more mature than them despite his tender age!—Trunks and Goten returned to their feet and dejectedly stooped their head before apologising to each other as well as to the single audience who was actually amused at their little fight.

"You two are so funny," Gohan smiled, causing his brother and friend to blush in embarrassment, "I guess you must've been friends for a very long time, huh?"

For a moment Goten navigated around his memories of a bygone day before replying to his brother's question, "Um, yeah. Mom said Trunks was there for my baby shower. She said he was already very naughty when he was a kid… see this?" the 'older' Son showed to his brother a tiny scar on his left temple, just next to the eye. It was nearly invisible; one wouldn't possibly see it if he wasn't looking for it. "He made this one. When I was sleeping he threw his toy truck on my head. Thanks, huh, Trunks," he said as he turned to Trunks, a deep furrow forming between his eyebrows.

"It was a test of your strength, because you look very weak back then," Trunks jeered at him in reply.

"Hello, I was just a baby, okay? At least I wasn't chubby like you were."

"Say what?"

Again, Trunks and Goten looked ready for yet round of needless scuffle, but this time Gohan was quick enough to forestall it from happening. When he tried to separate them he saw his brother—the more childish of the two—sticking out his tongue to Trunks, and much to his pleasant surprise the self-appointed leader actually reciprocated with exactly the same action. The fact that they weren't acting someone their age was beyond Gohan's comprehension and he found it entertaining at the very least.

"It must be fun to have a very close friend," he said, but mainly to himself. A perceptive ear would notice a tinge of sadness in his voice; he wanted to be happy for his brother, but a spark of envy prevented him from being sincere. "I've never had one before, because I lived in the mountains with dad and mom, far away from everyone else. Every day mom told me to study, so I never really went out to play…" he continued, this time earning a look of pity from the mischievous duo, "I guess Piccolo's the closest to a best friend I've ever had, but now… he's…"

Suddenly the air felt very heavy and the mood turned bleak. Trunks and Goten looked at each other; guilt started eating away at them since it was they who had—inadvertently, but that was beside the point—caused this to happen. They didn't mean to drag the poor little kid into such a heavy topic for him to deal with, and they had to set things straight. Feeling extremely sorry for Gohan, Goten decided to take the initiative to console him, an action that earned him a nod of approval and admiration from Trunks.

"Gohan…" the spiky-haired preteen knelt in front of his brother and put his hand on his shoulder, unsure of what he would respond with, "We don't have to talk about it if you don't feel like it. It's okay. Wanna talk about something else?"

A rather long silence followed, and Goten was actually starting to think he failed at solacing Gohan. However, Gohan then lifted his head to meet Goten's gaze with his own, an innocent gaze radiating a peculiar mix of strength and sadness, but with the former more dominant than the latter. "… it's okay, Goten. You've avenged them for me… they must be happy now," he said while trying to suppress his grief, "Of course I'm gonna miss them so bad, and perhaps I can't ever forgive those jerks who killed them… but mom once said you gotta learn from hard experiences since they help you grow…" he paused for a while, then smiled through his sadness, "… so I guess I'll just have to move on, right? I mean, they'll be sad if I don't."

"But Gohan, with Piccolo and Guru…" Goten paused, trying to find a appropriate euphemism of the word 'dead' to avoid unnecessary outburst of emotion, "… um, now far away, there won't be any Dragon Balls…"

"Yeah, I know… but I guess that means we just gotta live like normal people. They can live without the balls. We can, too," replied Gohan somewhat assuredly, "People come and go, Goten… that's the way it was, and that's the way it should be… Piccolo, Krillin, and the others are still living, here," he said, pointing at his heart.

Gohan's strength really came as a total surprise for Goten and Trunks. He was just a child, yet he was able to absorb the full force of the ugly impact of the events that had marred him both physically and mentally so severely. At first Goten didn't fully comprehend how his brother was able to handle it better than he had expected, but soon he figured why.

"Goten?"

For someone his age, Gohan had experienced too many crazy incidents. The poor child got kidnapped by his evil uncle, lost his father shortly afterward, forced to train and live a harsh life for a year by Piccolo, witnessed the very same mentor he had loved so much sacrificed himself for him, caught wind of Krillin's death, and finally watched Frieza mercilessly kill Dende in front of his eyes—for the love of all that's good, he was the only friend Gohan's own age he'd ever had. He was only five years old, but life hadn't been easy for him. Nope, instead of Aces, life had dealt him countless Jokers, but he managed to live through all of them. He had been a very strong child all along.

"Goten? Hey, big brother?"

"H-huh?"

Goten's train of thought was broken by a call from Gohan. He was so deep in his mind he failed to notice his brother's attempt to gain his attention.

"Are you okay?" asked Gohan. All traces of sadness had vanished from him and he now sported a cheerful—albeit slightly concerned at Goten's unresponsiveness—expression.

"Uh… yeah, I was just thinking," replied Goten as he gathered his thoughts together, "What is it?"

"So what are we gonna do now?"

"I guess we agreed on having a big meal on our ship. You wanna come and join us?"

"Woah… really? What do you have?"

"Hmm… I think there's beef stew, ham sandwich, steak, curry. Hee-hee, there's a lot of food in our fridge."

"That's awesome! Let's go!"

At the thought of eating so much meat Gohan had to struggle hard not to salivate since he knew it was extremely rude and disgusting. Not wasting a single second, he hastily climbed on his brother's back and they flew into the distance. Goten happily complied when Gohan asked him to twirl and spin around like a rollercoaster car or fly in a vertical zigzag pattern, and he even did a little stunt by throwing the kid high into the air and catching him mid-fall—since Gohan knew how to fly there was no danger in doing it. He had actually encouraged Gohan to be childish and enjoy his life as much as possible; the child more than deserved it after all the nonsense he had to go through, and Goten had made a promise to do whatever it was that his brother asked of him as long as he was able to realise it. Before he had to return to his timeline, he would use the time to be a good 'big' brother and spoil Gohan with everything he had. Yes, they were happy, especially the little halfling…

… but it seemed someone wasn't as happy.

"Okay, what the heck?" still standing on the same spot where he had been, Trunks glowered as a bead of sweat ran down his temple, "I can't believe those two left without me…"

* * *

><p>"I swear, the only thing that registers easily in your mind is food."<p>

"Gee, sorry, Trunks! We got too excited!"

The middle hybrid had himself a long, nice interrogation session when the eldest returned to the spaceship. Trunks would've appreciated some help in bringing his father back, but to his dismay Goten and Gohan just blasted off without even looking back, seemingly having forgotten about him who had been there all along. And how envious he was upon finding out Goten had somehow managed to persuade Gohan to teach him the Masenko while he wasn't around! When they first saw their version of Gohan use it, he and Goten thought that particular technique was very cool and they had resolved to learn it someday. The fact that Goten had had a head start in figuring out how to use it came as unfair to him, so he vowed to himself that he would do the same before they returned to their timeline.

Satisfied for having playfully grilled his poor friend, he was left with just one more problem before their banquet could finally begin: Vegeta. The full-blooded Saiyan was still knocked out from the two-hit combo they had delivered as Gotenks; to make him at least more comfortable in his unconsciousness, Trunks dragged him into the bedroom, laid him down on the springy bed, and seated himself on the floor, leaning against the wardrobe. He was going to wait until his father woke up before throwing the celebration, since he thought he would appreciate some good food after a hard day's unreal load of work. However, after fifteen minutes of fruitless waiting, he soon drifted into blissful drowsiness…

… but a knock on the door yanked him back to the land of the wakeful. Trunks stood up and let out a huge yawn while stretching, and again another succession of knocks could be heard.

"You don't have to knock, you know. This is also your room."

Then came the Son brothers strolling into the room. From the look on his face, it was obvious Goten was going to raise a complaint about how Trunks took so long. In addition, with his hand on his stomach, Trunks could predict what Goten was going to say.

"What's taking you so long? I'm hungry," said the twin terrors in unison.

Completely flabbergasted at his friend's 'mind-reading' ability, Goten looked at him incredulously. "Howdcha do that?"

"You're so predictable. Can't you just wait until he wakes up, so we can have a good start?" asked Trunks. His own body, however, didn't agree; as though contradicting what he had just said, a rumbling sound came from his stomach. Hearing this, Gohan couldn't help giggling and Goten gave him an even stranger look, to which he responded by grinning sheepishly. "You know what? Forget about dad. Let's help ourselves with the food!" he exclaimed.

"He's still out cold. I thought you wanted to wait until he gets up?" Goten asked in a matter-of-fact tone. However, he was actually starting to worry if they had overdone it when trying to get the prince to safety during the fight earlier.

"He's such a sleepyhead. Well, it's not our fault if he misses all the good food," said Trunks as he casually walked out of the room, "C'mon! I'm not gonna wait for you if you're late."

* * *

><p>"Have a good meal!"<p>

Being a polite kid he was, Gohan carefully considered what he would like to eat, took just the right amount, and started eating slowly and gracefully. In complete contrast to him, however, Trunks and Goten did act; unheeding of common etiquettes they very swiftly and efficiently devoured everything before their eyes and made a pig out of themselves. Seeing them eat just like his father, Gohan was left with no choice but to reserve the food he was interested in before his brother and friend had the chance to finish it.

Their festivity was briefly interrupted by someone who had been unconscious for some time. This particular someone was awakened the irresistible aroma of meat, and when he went downstairs to the pantry he was surprised to see three brats voraciously—well, except one—gobbling untold amount of meat dishes on a rather small table which was actually starting to give in to the sheer weight of the food. The eldest of the three noticed him and invited him to the banquet; he snorted, but accepted the offer nonetheless since he couldn't deny the fact that he was starving. However, true to his personality, he decided to settle in the corner of the room rather than having to share a table with those boorish imps.

He then so rudely asked what had happened to him, but when the brat with that strange hair colour informed him about Frieza's demise at the hands of someone named Gotenks, he was most irritated. He believed his anger could be justified by a reason: for his terrible deeds he had done in the past, Frieza was supposed to die at the hands of a Saiyan. He figured this was a perfect time to interrogate the preadolescents once again, and this time he wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. Come what may, he had resolved to squeeze every drop of truth out of them, so he began by asking the most fundamental question: who were they?

"Me? I'm Goten, and this is Trunks," replied the spiky-haired boy nonchalantly.

"Do you think I'm stupid? I already know that!" Vegeta growled in exasperation, "Tell me where you came from!"

"You know that's a whole different question, right?" Trunks shrugged. Before his father broke out into yet another outburst, though, he followed with his reply. "We're from earth, as I said."

Of course that wasn't the kind of answer Vegeta considered satisfactory. Now totally frustrated, he needed to make his point clear. He confronted Trunks and Goten about the little details he had picked up since they first met, such as their knowledge of the 'over nine thousand' incident, how Trunks had said something along the lines of 'the same old story' when giving him the senzu bean, how they had been aware of Ginyu's ability, Gohan getting angry at Frieza for hurting his 'brother', Goten's knowledge of Kamehameha which as far as he knew was only exclusive to Kakarot, and finally Trunks's motives of taking a taste of Frieza's Death Beam in his place.

Presented with such great an amount of details, Trunks and Goten could only gawk at Vegeta's critical—and very remarkably so—observations. Goten knew it would come as a hard blow to his friend since he had been headstrong not to reveal their heritage to Vegeta, but right now all the evidence had been laid neatly on the table and there really was no point in covering up anymore. Trunks sighed, and with Goten by his side for support, he began to reluctantly divulge everything to his father just like what his best friend had done with Gohan earlier. To minimise the impact and increase his credibility, he broke the news in a rather indirect fashion.

"My mom is… Bulma, the lady who went here with Gohan. As you already know, Goten and Gohan are brothers. And yeah, like them, I'm… uh, a half-Saiyan, but… I'm not related to them…"

There. He spilled it. Slowly letting go of his hopes of being born in this timeline, he braced himself for the worst. Gears started spinning in the purebred's head, and slowly but surely the pieces arranged themselves very nicely. When the puzzle was finally solved, Trunks and Goten could've sworn they saw a crazy mix of confusion and anger on Vegeta's face.

"WHAT? I, the Prince of Saiyans, will father a half-breed with an earthling?" the grownup hollered, "Absurd! It doesn't make sense in the slightest bit, this is preposterous!"

Yes, just exactly the reaction Trunks had expected. For five full minutes Vegeta would ramble on and on about things he and Goten couldn't even make sense of. You can't blame him, though; the entire time travel and space-time continuum affair was something so technologically and scientifically advanced not even Gohan could comprehend as of now, and with that sheer influx of information Vegeta's flipping-out was totally understandable.

When he finally settled down an uncomfortable silence followed, the tension was high, and nobody had the guts to say anything. Trunks realised he needed to apologise; encouraged by Goten with a "good luck", he approached his father and gathered the courage to start the conversation.

"Vegeta, I…" he began but immediately paused, unsure of what to say next, "I'm sorry I had to keep this a secret. I just… didn't wanna mess up with the course of time anymore. I thought it would be best to let things flow naturally, and I didn't wanna influence your decisions. That's all. I'm… really sorry about this."

Another silence followed. Vegeta was actually at an impasse; he too was uncertain of himself. As much as he was disgusted at the thought of mating an earthling woman, he couldn't dismiss the fact that this boy who had done wondrous feats was his son, albeit from another timeline. How should he react? Should he show his pride and denied any relation with the woman, or swallow it and admit the child prodigy who was his son?

Then, perhaps for the first time in his life, he finally decided to carefully divulge the truth about his feelings. "Hmph. Imagine this. My son saved me from death three times, even risking his own life to do that. Very respectable," he said, much to the surprise of everyone present. Vegeta acknowledged Trunks as his son? Gohan almost choked on his ham sandwich when he heard this statement which was—knowing Vegeta—certainly a breakthrough. "And he managed to kill Frieza and avenge the Saiyan race. You are a true warrior, and I must say, boy, I'm proud of you."

Hearing his father's speech, Trunks's eyes were glimmering with hope. "Does… that mean…"

"Don't get me wrong!" the father interjected, "I was only saying you've done a very honourable deed, and that's all there is to it. You're a good example for my heir."

That was all Vegeta needed to elicit a very huge sigh of relief from Trunks who felt like his heart just skipped a few beats. At first he couldn't believe his ears, but after seeing Goten and Gohan exhibit similar reactions that just screamed confusion, he knew his brain wasn't playing tricks on him. And what was that final sentence Vegeta just said? His heir? So he was planning to father a child after all! How happy beyond comprehension Trunks was at the realisation; he was so happy he suffered to wobbly knees and fell on the floor. The Son brothers quickly came to his aid and helped him return to his feet while grinning and patting him on the back.

Trunks could, and would, still exist.

* * *

><p>"Okay, so… we're finally ready to go home! Yay!" exclaimed Gohan in excitement, earning similar reactions from his brother and friend. Although his mission wasn't a complete success, they had neutralised a bigger threat to the universe; the sacrifice, according to Gohan, was well worth it. "I'm gonna get Bulma. Do you wanna come with me? Besides, you'll get to see Trunks's mom when she's still young," he tried to contain his giggle, "Who would've thought she's gonna end up with Vegeta?"<p>

"Hmph! Ridiculous! Listen, boy," Vegeta snorted and looked at Trunks. He was never fond of such mushy stuff the earthlings so affectionately referred to as 'love'. He had always believed that possession of emotions was an unmistakable determinant of weaklings. "You might be my son in your timeline, and I don't know what that father of yours was thinking when he did that, but things aren't bound to be the same here."

There was something in Vegeta's words which caught Gohan's attention. "When he did what?"

"Something you'll know when you get older," Trunks quickly answered without making eye contact with the innocent child. He didn't want to take the blame for corrupting his mind.

"Uh, okay…?" having caught his brother's nervous chuckle at Trunks's reply, Gohan eyed them suspiciously. He quickly dismissed it nonetheless and turned to Vegeta. "But I thought when you threatened Krillin and me to give our Dragon Ball, you said something about Bulma being gorgeous…"

"What? I didn't…" Vegeta hollered. He could hear surprised gasps and suppressed murmurs interrupted by chuckles from the other hybrids. "You idiot! It was a figure of speech, I was being sarcastic!" It took everything in him not to blush although trying to suppress it proved very painful.

"Well, that's new. My dad would never say that to mom, go figure. Maybe you're different after all," Trunks smirked. He was clearly deriving entertainment from teasing Vegeta for his approach toward Bulma. Maybe, just maybe, instead of cancelling his birth in this timeline, he could make it happen sooner.

"You brats are sickening me! I said shut up, or I'm going to blast all three of you all the way to earth!"

"Wowee, you can do that?" Goten responded teasingly, "That's good, because we can save spaceship fuel! But…" he tilted his head to the right in an attempt to look adorable, then produced a wide mischievous grin that threatened to split his face in half, "… that means you'll have to get off this planet with Auntie Bulma, just the two of you… ooohh."

The other two hybrids immediately burst out into a paroxysm of insane laughter at Goten's surprisingly clever remark, especially with that 'ooohh' he let out very, very mawkishly. Trunks struggled to catch his breath between his laughter and Gohan—somehow he understood the context of the conversation, although how he managed to do it was beyond everybody. Books, perhaps?—buried his face in his arms while pounding the table with his fist in a futile attempt to get over his exhilaration. Who knew the normally innocent and shy Goten could be this ruthless when teasing other people? It looked like the saying 'still water runs deep' was true after all; never underestimate a calm person, for his quiescence may belie the unexpected qualities he may possess.

Of course, Vegeta was nowhere near pleased at these bratty halflings' jollity. He shot up from his seat and formed a rather large energy sphere in record time. "You rotten…!"

"Whoa, whoa, easy there, dad!" Trunks speedily interrupted—although still in crazed laughter—before his father could cause any serious damage to their only means of getting back home, "If you destroy this ship then it's gonna get even worse. You'll be stuck here with all of us and mom, and we're gonna annoy you to death."

"Besides, look. You've always been proud of your Saiyan heritage, but with no more Saiyan women out there, how else do you think you can preserve it? It's not that bad of a deal, think about it!" he elaborated after he had calmed himself down. To his surprise, Vegeta seemed to be seriously considering about it now. Just a little bit more persuasion, now… "Plus, on earth, you can spar with Goten and Gohan's dad anytime, anywhere! Cool, huh?"

At the thought of pounding his archrival into a pulp, a smirk graced Vegeta's lips. "I have to admit, the prospect of fighting Kakarot and show him what happens if he messes with the strongest Saiyan makes your suggestion of staying on earth worth accepting. Besides, you've seen the power of this brat of his. He may make a good training partner, and I, too, shall one day become a Super Saiyan," he said, but a vicious scowl quickly replaced his smug expression, "But there's no guarantee that I will father you! Do I make myself clear? Well, do I?"

"Okay, whatever you say, I guess," replied Trunks casually while making his exit from the dining room.

* * *

><p>"I guess everything turns out better than we expected, huh, Goten?"<p>

"See? I told you. You worried too much. That fight we had earlier on Frieza's ship was unnecessary…"

"Yeah… sorry about that."

"It doesn't cancel your promise of being my shield next time."

"Hey guys! Ready to go?"

Trunks and Goten's conversation was broken by Gohan's cheerful voice. Looking all set and ready for their quest for the princess, he sported this wide grin on his face and his huge obsidian eyes were radiating an untold dose of excitement. Of course, who wouldn't be happy at the prospect of finally getting home after being away for quite some time, not to mention the harshness of those days? Besides, Gohan would get to spend so much time with his brother whom he had very easily grown attached to; after Frieza's defeat, Goten and Gohan were practically inseparable with the latter following the former wherever he went. The thought of enjoying his well-earned happy childhood, although perhaps just for a moment before Goten had to return to his timeline, was more than enough to cast a perpetual smile on his face.

"Yeah. Let's get my mom before dad does and brings her here on a white horse, Prince Charming style," Trunks smirked. He purposely spoke louder than necessary to make sure Vegeta heard what he said.

"That's not going to happen, because I'm staying here!" came Vegeta's grumpy voice, "Now hurry up and get that woman, so I can go to earth and fight Kakarot already!"

"You hear that, Goten?" the lilac head asked his best friend with a mischievous grin, "Dad wants mom here fast! Ooohh." To further aggravate the irritated adult, Goten quickly followed with his version of 'ooohh' which was infinitely schmaltzier.

"GO AWAY BEFORE I BLAST THAT SORRY BOTTOM OF YOURS!"

The prince's threat was met with another crazy giggle from the terrible trio. Countless ideas of teasing Vegeta and Bulma during their trip back home had already been coursing through their collective mind, and pulling one prank or another on them was a must-do. Oh yes, with the two adults travelling in the same ship as the boys, the journey was sure to be one heck of a living anathema.


	15. Hidden Hope

_Pre-note: This won't be an easy chapter. Brace yourselves; that's all I can say._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

* * *

><p>"Okay, so here's the plan: there are no plans. We're gonna get mom, and after that we all can go," Trunks patted his father on the back before exiting the spaceship.<p>

"Whatever," Vegeta scoffed.

"Cheer up, dad. It's gonna be fun living on earth."

"Kakarot and that brat of his are the only saving graces of that planet."

"They're gonna give you a good fight. I promise you that."

"You better go before that bratty friend of yours comes and bothers me again."

Trunks was slightly surprised at how Vegeta referred to Goten. He and his dad back in his timeline might exhibit different attitude toward their respective versions of his mother, but they had exactly the same opinion about Goten. This was a very effective proof that Goten was an annoying little brat—as his father put it—and when he thought about it, he had to admit sometimes it could be true.

"Trunks, c'mon! Whatcha waiting for?"

Speak of the devil. There came Goten strolling ever so casually into the spaceship, and at the sight of him Vegeta's scowl became more apparent. The spiky-haired boy noticed this; he cringed as he thought perhaps he had taken his jokes a little bit too far earlier. Seeing him act like that, Trunks couldn't help chuckling since it reminded him of how his best friend always cower at Vegeta's presence back in their timeline.

"Um… I just wanna tell Trunks to get ready," Goten stooped his head in an attempt to avoid eye contact with the full-blooded Saiyan. The sight was priceless to Trunks; twelve years and still acting like a seven-year-old. The same old Goten.

"You see? Now he's back bothering me. Move it already!" Vegeta instructed.

"Okay, okay," Trunks shrugged, "Let's go, Goten, someone doesn't seem to be in the mood today. See ya, dad."

Vegeta just snorted, not giving any concern whatsoever to his son's attempts in warming up to him. Truth be told, he didn't mind being called 'dad' like that, but he didn't know why; it actually made him somewhat proud, although he would've preferred it if Trunks referred to him as 'father'. The latter sounded more… appropriate for use among the royal family, it seemed. As for why he felt proud, even he didn't have the exact answer himself. Perhaps it was because—just like what he had mentioned before—he had killed Frieza, and by that his desire had been fulfilled: he died by a Saiyan's hand. Although the privilege hadn't been for Vegeta to enjoy, knowing it was for his son was the second best thing that could happen.

But what was this feeling which had been gnawing at him?

For some reason, there was this force compelling him to tag along with the boy. It actually came from deep within him, transcending the defences of his pride and logic, but he felt like he needed to do something meaningful for him after all he had done to ensure his well-being. What could that something be, and why? He didn't know, but what he did somehow know was that he would have the chance soon.

Just as the preteens were about to step out of the ship, Vegeta called to Trunks, "Boy, wait."

The youngster in question turned around, and after gesturing to Goten to go ahead and return to Gohan he approached his father. "What is it?"

"I'm going with you," replied Vegeta. The tone in which he spoke indicated that it was more of a demand than a statement or request. "Don't ask. I won't answer."

"Well, I won't," Trunks shrugged, "Looks like the prince's getting really impatient to meet the princess."

"You fool! For once, stop speaking like that in front—"

"Gohan?"

Trunks and Vegeta's conversation were cut off by Goten's voice. The middle hybrid's gaze was fixed on his brother who was on the turf outside the ship, and that was where the father and son turned to. Sure enough, they were treated the same sight: Gohan standing in the open, his attention focused on something to their left-hand side. The doorway was much taller than it was wide, almost like a slit; their field of view was practically restricted to the child who was right at the middle of the aperture. So, in order to see what it was that had intrigued Gohan, the other Saiyans had to exit the spaceship.

And that was when a series of nightmares began.

Before they could even set their feet on the blue grass, a file of energised beam swiftly pierced the little hybrid's chest. The momentum lifted him off the ground and knocked him backward.

For a moment, time came to an abrupt halt and space collapsed on itself.

Colours lost their chroma and voices and sounds faded.

Goten, who saw the scene with his own eyes, felt like his world had been reduced to its greyscale and silent version, and everything seemed to proceed unbearably slowly as he saw his brother land and lie helpless on the ground. It so happened that Gohan faced the ship's doorway when he landed, and with tears now brimming in his huge, innocent obsidian orbs, it looked as though he was pleading for Goten to come.

Time's passing slowly returned to normal to Goten's perception. After everything finally registered in his mind, he let out an extremely heartrending cry which would make even the hardest of hearts wince. Screaming his brother's name, he frantically made his way to Gohan in a crazed rush, totally oblivious and unheeding of the danger lurking somewhere nearby that might take his life with ease. He didn't care; he only wanted to be at Gohan's side and find out what in the guardian's name had just happened.

Upon recovering from his shock, Trunks finally understood the urgency of the situation. Naturally, he rushed toward Gohan, who was now lying on the ground in a small puddle of his own blood. His eyes hurt so bad, and somehow the wound on his arm which Gohan had so kindly tended to started to sting again; he too had developed some kind of a bond with his friend's brother, especially after seeing him transform into a Super Saiyan. He was as proud as Goten was of him… he wanted to scream every curse word known to man toward whoever it was who dared do such a horrible thing to Gohan, but he knew he had to stay composed, although it was hard. Very hard.

But then he perceived a familiar energy signature. Despite being faint, there was no mistaking the darkness and evil it bore. This aura, combined with that piercing beam of laser, could only mean one thing. Trunks gave a horrified gasp when everything clicked in his mind; bracing himself for the worst, he slowly turned to his left.

"A bumblebee stung Gohan, and then there were three."

His fear was confirmed.

In the distance stood the dreaded space emperor, his pure white skin stained with bloody wounds from his earlier battle with Gotenks. Trunks was so shocked at this revelation to the point he couldn't even move; how he managed to survive that Victory Kamehameha was absolutely beyond his understanding. He was still frozen in horror when Frieza again lifted his right hand and shot an almost invisible psychic wave right at him. It was too fast, and even if he could move, he wouldn't be able to evade it…

"TRUNKS! MOVE ASIDE!"

At the very last second before the wave hit him, he felt being shoved aside by someone. It happened in just an instant; he expected it to be Goten just like before, but of course it wasn't him. The voice was just too gruff. When he regained his balance, to his extreme horror, he saw Vegeta taking the beam in his place and being pushed away from him.

"Dad! Wh-what's going on?" Trunks cried in dread. When his father was lifted high into the air, he turned to Frieza, desperately pleading for him to drop whatever it was he was about to do. "No, Frieza, that's enough! Stop it… DON'T DO IT!"

In his helplessness, Vegeta now realised what the urge he had felt earlier was all about, and it was indeed meaningful. Just like how Trunks had saved him three times, now it was his time to do the same. Although he could perform this act of kindness only once, it was meant to be an ultimate sacrifice; he didn't know why, but he felt like he had to do it. It came from deep inside and no logical explanation could be made.

'Hmph… what a weakling I am, having succumbed to emotions,' Vegeta said inwardly as he stole one final glance at his petrified son. Then, knowing his end was near, he decided to submit to his true feelings and declare it for the world to hear, an action he somehow regretted not doing earlier. "My son… I wish I could've fathered you. I know you can kill Frieza and restore the honour of our race."

Then, not showing even the slightest bit of mercy, the sadistic emperor sealed Vegeta's demise; with a gesture as simple as clutching his hand, the hammer had fallen. The sound of a huge explosion roared from behind the hybrid preteen, an explosion which made his heart skip a beat, an explosion which served as Frieza's rejection of his plea. He mustered as much courage as he could and turned around, hoping to at least see his father's body…

"Vegeta got frizzled up, and then there were two."

… but there was nothing.

The sheer force of the psychokinetic explosion had erased even the slightest traces of Vegeta's being, leaving Trunks in a psychotic state. His thoughts and emotions were so impaired they ran haywire. No words could come out of his mouth, not even one letter, and to say he was in extreme shock and grief was an understatement.

Trunks clenched his teeth, stooped his head, and clutched his hand so hard it bled. He felt his judgment, clear thinking, and common sense all slip away from his head. In his mental anguish, his lilac hair slowly assumed a golden hue as his eyes turned from cerulean to viridian, and an unbelievable efflux of energy started to emanate from his body. He had ascended, but that wasn't all; some kind of sparks crackled around him, and he knew it was just a matter of time before he finally flipped out.

When he looked up to see Frieza, the monster who had mortally wounded his best friend's brother and murdered his father within a one-minute window, anger and malice clouded his vision.

All he cared about was that this monster had to die by their hands.

* * *

><p>"Goten… I'm sorry… I slowed you down, didn't I?" asked the youngest halfling. He was in so much pain and it was obvious even forming words was a struggle for him, but he managed to engage a conversation with his brother nonetheless.<p>

"No… no, you didn't! Gohan… don't talk, okay? I'm gonna patch it up, oh my gosh…" pleaded Goten.

"Goten, you can't… it's no use. I don't think I'm… gonna make it anyway…"

As much as he didn't want to believe it, he knew Gohan was correct. There was nothing much he could do; the beam had penetrated through Gohan's left lung, just missing his heart, and the wound was too serious to tend to. "No! You will, and you're gonna be okay!" he said, denial filling his voice, "Nothing's gonna happen to you, Gohan, everything's gonna be fine…"

Gohan tried to speak, but the pain prevented him. He coughed out blood several times, a sight which caused Goten to flinch and finally burst into tears. "Ouch, it hurts… but it's okay… Goten, can you… stay until I leave?" he finally managed to get his point across.

"Gohan… I'm here. There's nothing to be afraid of, and you're not going anywhere…"

The sight of Gohan in extreme pain and pleading for him to stay was way too agonising for Goten to bear. Unbeknownst to Goten himself, he had transformed into a Super Saiyan due to unrestrained emotions. This time, though, it felt totally different; he felt a raw, burning desire for vengeance deep down inside, a sensation he had never felt before even in his transformed state. He could also hear something crackling around him, and how surprised he was upon seeing arcs of electricity dancing around his body. This hadn't happened before.

"Woah, is this… what they call a Super Saiyan, Goten? You're so cool…" said the Saiyan tyke between his agonies. Although his big eyes were overflowing with tears, there was a strong spark of excitement; even in his final moments he still took the time to admire his brother, and it just testified how much he looked up to him.

"Yup, I'm a Super Saiyan, Gohan… and Trunks as well. You can become one, too! You're strong… so please—"

"Oh… there's… Krillin, and the others…" the 'little' brother interjected. Claiming to have seen his friends, his eyes were now focused on the space behind Goten, and to be honest it was giving him the creeps. "Can you see them… Goten? Huh? Why is he not… there?"

"Wh-what are you saying, Gohan? See who? Who's not there…?"

"Goten… they're calling… I have to go now. Be strong… okay?"

Although Gohan was becoming more and more incoherent by the second, possibly due to the pain he had to endure, Goten knew the time had finally come and there was no stopping it. Cradling his brother in his arms, he desperately pled for him not to give up and even offered himself to go in his place… to no avail.

"Thank you… for everything, Goten… I wish… we could've played together… a little longer…"

Another coughing fit came, but unlike before, the kid didn't grimace at all; it was unclear if he had deliberately withheld the pain or it was because he could no longer feel a thing. Then, with as much strength as he could possibly gather, Gohan cracked a smile and fastened his grip on Goten's palm. Unheeding of the 'older' brother's appeal to stay awake, he slowly closed his eyes as he felt himself being lifted up into the air and his mind being freed from all worries of the world. It was strangely peaceful, so he took a deep breath and prepared to give in to its embrace…

"Oh, no, please! Gohan… stay with me!"

"See you… later, big brother…"

And as he exhaled, his grip loosened and his arm went limp.

There was no heartbeat.

Goten had lost him.

He couldn't comprehend the events that seemed to have transpired so quickly but also very slowly at the same time. In a mix of all kinds of emotions, the spiky-haired brother rocked Gohan's body gently in an attempt to resuscitate him. Did he just witness his brother dying in his arms? He couldn't believe he was gone, not one bit! "Gohan…? Gohan, c'mon, wake up."

"I hate to interrupt such an emotional scene, but break is over!" a voice rang authoritatively through the air, "You lousy, no good maggots shall join them very soon! Thank you, boys, for giving me enough time to recover."

"No… no, no, this isn't happening… Gohan, you can't die. You're strong. You're stronger than me… you're the strongest of us all after dad… Gohan, wake up. Please…"

"So, with your loved ones gone, what are you going to do now? Play that little game of fusing together again? The same trick will not work against me twice," Frieza carried on with his narcissistic soliloquy, "But I must admit, had I not shielded myself with my psychic powers earlier, that blast of yours would have killed me. I was lucky for having discovered this alien spaceship of yours during my escape, so I decided to lounge around and take you by surprise. It seems you are not aware that I, too, am able to mask my energy signature."

"GOHAAANNNNN!"

Finally, Goten let everything out. With that miserable cry of his late brother's name, he gave in to his anger and sorrow. There was nothing else in his head but thirst of vengeance and he felt this urge to rip Frieza into pieces. As though answering to his primal desires, his energy output greatly shot up; an aura of golden colour enveloped him and streaks of electricity danced prominently around his body. Just like when in his Super Saiyan form, his hair stood on its end, but this time the strands shot up in a stiff manner. Although tears of anguish could be seen running down from his eyes, his heart was filled with nothing else but malice.

Yes, triggered by Gohan's death, Goten had made his ascension further beyond. He had finally entered the same grounds his brother had stepped into during his fight with Cell twelve years ago.

"You have learned a lesson: always make sure your adversary is completely destroyed before you leave. Perhaps it would be easier for you to understand if I demonstrate it. I shall give you two options—"

"Shut up."

Frieza's heartfelt speech was very abruptly interjected by Goten. The boy, who was now standing by Gohan's lifeless body, slowly made his way toward Frieza; the manner in which he did that clearly indicated that he was exhibiting complete dominance. The alien, of course, was irked at his behaviour—he conveniently described it as sickeningly haughty—so he attempted to do as what Gotenks had done to him earlier: talking him to the point of indignation.

"So, the brother finally decides to show up and turn himself?" asked Frieza in a very condescending tone, "Yes, that would be the best course of action. I believe you have not forgotten about my—"

"You killed my father and Goten's brother. You'll pay for what you've done."

This time he was interrupted by Trunks who suddenly materialised behind him. From his current position he would be in a major disadvantage since he could only keep one of them in his field of vision, so he quickly stepped aside far enough to be able to see both boys simultaneously. To his amusement, they had somehow transformed and they were both in a exactly the same state—golden, stiff hair, viridian eyes radiating untold amount of spite, unusual aura gently emanating from their body accompanied by tiny sparks of charged particles—but he dismissed it as yet another one of their little tricks.

"Well, now, the children are impersonating a tax collector! You do not happen to mind elaborating what that means, do you?" he referred to Trunks's earlier statement.

Bad move on his part.

That was the final straw, and Frieza's eventual downfall was sealed.

With a cry, the half-Saiyans exploded in an uncontrollable rage. Although Frieza couldn't sense power levels without his scouter, he didn't need one; the efflux of raw energy coming from Trunks and Goten was just unfathomably phenomenal he needed to grasp the ground firmly with his feet to prevent being blown away by the sheer force of their energy. However, with one final explosion, a huge crater was carved out of the ground around them and pieces of rock were flung into all directions, forcing him to move away. Seeing this, Frieza was in great disbelief; their combined power level just shot through the roof, on par with—if not surpassing—that of Gotenks's!

When everything had settled down, the angered hybrids, now looking outwardly composed, shot Frieza the deadliest glare they had ever given to anyone else. Trunks and Goten were now at the peak of their power; the little sparks of electricity had been amplified into audible, crackling lightning-like arcs and their previously gentle aura was blazing, making it look as though golden flames had consumed them.

"That means death sentence, Frieza," replied Trunks, "And we're not giving any parole."

* * *

><p>It wasn't even a minute into the battle, but Trunks and Goten had already gained the upper hand.<p>

The transformed half-Saiyans pummelled Frieza with extreme ease, and with their superb coordination and teamwork the overlord didn't even have the slightest chance to land a hit on them. Frieza was bewildered beyond belief; the last time he fought them he was able to corner them into major trouble, but why was everything contradictory now? The boys' speed and power had increased so dramatically from their previous encounter, and just like during the fight with Gotenks, he was forced to constantly defend himself. He had underestimated their true might in their transformed state, and as his punishment he was having a very, very rough time.

Despite their overflowing power, Trunks and Goten deliberately delivered light and quick strikes to Frieza instead of dealing the finishing blow straightaway, a feat they—and Frieza—knew they could accomplish so easily. In a desperate longing for retribution, their agenda was to slowly whittle away his defences and make him suffer before finally killing him very slowly and painfully. To their dismay, Frieza didn't fare well in the fight, so they decided to up the challenge by deliberately creating an opening and letting him go for the offensive.

Even then, they managed to dodge every single one of Frieza's blow and energy blast by swiftly swaying back and forth—nothing was blocked; their speed was just too phenomenal to begin with they didn't find the need to deflect those attacks. Furious beyond belief, Frieza stepped backward to create some space and formed a bowling ball-sized energy sphere, but before he was able to throw it Goten quickly materialised behind him and kicked the sphere away, creating a huge explosion in the distance.

"That's too slow," said Goten, his voice deceptively playful, "You wanna see what we mean by fast?"

Without waiting for response, he and Trunks stormed Frieza and dealt him countless blows, Afterimaging between each strike to confound him further. Seeing his helplessness, the friends smirked in delight; somehow, perhaps thanks to their Super Saiyan 2 transformations, they enjoyed torturing Frieza and were actually deriving entertainment from it. It just felt right.

In the middle of their frolic, however, they were interrupted by a raspy voice. It came as a total surprise to them; not only because they knew there was no one else on the planet beside the three of them except for Bulma, but also the voice seemed to come from their head. Trunks and Goten stole a glance while still keeping their hands busy torturing Frieza, and by the look of confusion on their face they knew they weren't imagining the voice.

"Children from earth! Can you hear me?" the voice said.

"Who are you?" Trunks growled, "Can't you see we're busy?"

"I'm King Kai. I'm speaking to you through your mind," the owner of the voice introduced himself, but it was not the time for an idle chatter. He quickly followed by pleading to them in urgency. "Listen, stop your fight right now! You can't win!"

"And let Frieza destroy the universe? You're not so smart, huh?" said Goten. That suggestion greatly perplexed him—perhaps it was the worst advice he had ever heard in his life—but he still kept his concentration on the fight nonetheless.

"He sure isn't, Goten," Trunks replied casually. When he spoke to King Kai, however, his voice turned vicious and angry. "We can win. If you don't have anything better to say, go away. We've got something important to do."

Seeing an opportunity, Frieza attempted shot a Death Beam at Trunks from point blank range. "You are so terrified you started talking to yourself! Keep your focus, boy—"

"Quiet."

How shocked Frieza was when the elder halfling managed to seize his hand with lightning-fast speed before he was able to perform the attack. Then, in an impressive display of teamwork, together with Goten he again blitzed the helpless emperor with a flurry of punches and kicks while making sure they weren't overdoing it.

"Listen to me, children. There's a way to help—"

King Kai was speedily interjected by Trunks, "Listen to me, whatever you are. This is our fight. Don't send anyone here. Let me just be honest to you, we're stronger than everyone on earth combined, even with Goku. They won't stand a chance against him. We're their only hope."

Still bent on making Frieza suffer for his terrible actions, they carefully delivered painful but non-lethal blows followed by a heavy finish to the stomach. The final blow made him cringe in pain, creating an opportunity for the hybrids to start a chain of coordinated attack where they would kick and punch him around like a volley ball—just like what he had done to Vegeta earlier on—before ending it with a smash which sent him plummeting to the ground, resulting in a huge impact.

"No, you don't understand! Frieza's stronger than you think and you will die! Look, the earth fighters can use their Dragon Balls to—"

This time he was replied by Goten who had had enough the conversation. "THERE ARE NO DRAGON BALLS! Frieza had killed Guru before Piccolo could even be wished back!" he lashed out sharply and was very much unlike himself, much to his own surprise. Somehow, in his Super Saiyan 2 transformation, his mood could quickly sway between casual and violent. "Listen. We won't die. You better believe and have faith in us, because if we die, then we'll personally hunt you down and rip you in two."

"There are no… Dragon Balls? What are you talking about? You've misunderstood—"

"I don't wanna hear of your stupid nonsense anymore," Trunks interjected again, "If you wanna help us, do as I say. Just stay back. Sending people will just get them killed, and besides it's already too late. We'll kill Frieza ourselves. Do you get it?" he asked. However, when his question was met with silence from King Kai's part, he boomed, "DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"

"I-yes, I understand! But… are you sure you can do it?"

"We are. Now tell them we don't need their help."

Silence followed; it seemed King Kai was now in some kind of a negotiation process with the earth fighters. Trunks and Goten then touched down on the ground just beside the crater where Frieza lay motionless. A quick check revealed he was still alive, so they took the moment's reprieve before he got up again to regain their energy—which wasn't exactly necessary since they hardly spent any energy at all during the fight.

Now fully recharged, Trunks was raring to continue with their second round. "Get up, freak. We're not done with our games."

Hearing this, Frieza slowly returned to his feet and stumbled backward due to his injuries. Battle-worn and indignant, he had completely shed his courteous and regal façade and looked and acted nothing like he did previously. "How… dare you… refer to this as a game! HOW DARE YOU!"

"He's lost it, Trunks."

"Yeah. Poor thing."

Unwilling to take any more insults, Frieza lifted himself into the air so he was level with Trunks and Goten. "Speak all you want! But let me tell you this, I am just moments away from achieving my maximum right now!" he roared, "Are you not curious? No doubt, you must be burning with the desire to see my true power!"

Trunks was initially astounded upon learning about Frieza's final transformation, but after giving it a thought he took this as a chance to give him a fair fight. "I'll take your bait. Hurry up, I haven't got all day."

Although Trunks's reply irked him to no end, Frieza didn't need to be told twice. If it was his full power that they wanted, then that was exactly what they would get. "You simpleton! In less than five minutes, that smug attitude will be no more!" he declared proudly, "Behold and tremble in fear! Ahahaha!"

Accompanied with a cry, a crazy build-up of energy flowed from Frieza's body, but Trunks and Goten were far from impressed. Just like them, now his body was enveloped in a blazing aura, except his was bluish white in colour. Then, the climax of his ascension finally came: his arms, shoulders, torso, legs, and even tail bulged abnormally, and in this form he was almost twice as huge as he was previously. In addition, one couldn't possibly miss all those pulsating veins all over his body. The younger hybrid even went as far as giving a remark about how Frieza looked very gross.

In this window period of Frieza's powering-up they received another telepathic transmission from King Kai. "Children, can you hear me?" he called.

"I told you not to disturb us!" Trunks hollered. He was starting to hate King Kai's constant interference and his irritating voice with passion.

"For once, please listen," he pleaded. Trunks ignored him, but Goten acknowledged this and gave him the green light, so he tried to get his point across, "I've discussed this with the earth fighters, and they understand and won't get in your way. They believe in you."

"The fate of the world rests in your hands, kids. And when you get back, they'd like you to have a word with them," he continued, but this time his voice assumed a slightly gloomy tone, "Goku's very upset about what happened to Gohan and why you won't let them help you…"

"You think I'm not? Seeing him got killed right in front of me?" Goten cut King Kai mid-sentence. Again, there was silence in King Kai's part, but the Saiyan boy carried on nonetheless, "Tell the others this. We're the ones who have caused everything to happen. As an apology, we'll protect them at all costs. That we promise. You get it?"

"I… I get it. But tell me something," King Kai inquired, "Just… who are you really?"

It was going to be Goten's last reply. After this, he would ignore further attempts from his conversation partner across the line, hang up, and focus on the battle with the newly powered-up Frieza.

And his reply was, "Our names are Goten and Trunks, and we will put an end to this terror."


	16. For Those We've Left Behind

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Have a good read._

* * *

><p>After screaming for a while due to the sheer efflux of energy, Frieza finally cooled off. His aura dissipated into thin air and there was no more discharge of energy. Finally, he had attained his long-awaited for one hundred percent of his power; with all those muscles, he now looked like a power-weighted version of his former self. Even so, truth be told, Goten was perfectly sure their chances of winning—which was already more than ninety percent—had just been multiplied manyfold, which meant certain victory for them. Why? They shall demonstrate.<p>

"Now, witness my full power and get ready to meet your end! I will not make the same mistake as you did, I shall ensure every single cell in your body is vaporised!" exclaimed Frieza while clenching his fists. He was bent on eliminating these unwelcome visitors who had interfered with his plan, mutilated his pride, and forced him to push himself to his limits.

"That's all?" asked Trunks, his eyes wide. This transformation came as a total disappointment to him; to be honest he was expecting something more monstrous. "Pathetic. If that's your full power, I honestly don't think you stand a chance against us. What do you think, Goten?"

"What a letdown," replied Goten.

Somehow Trunks and Goten's words felt like a huge peg driven straight into Frieza's heart. Having dropped all his restraints and composure, Frieza roared, "You impudent, insignificant children! You will not have the courage to talk after knowing I can smash you to pieces!"

"Well then, come at us."

"As you wish!"

And so Frieza charged at the Super Saiyans with all his might. To gauge his so-called one hundred percent power, Trunks blocked his kick instead of dodging it, and he was far from amused upon learning that the force—even though it caused it to almost break—wasn't quite strong enough to completely cancel his guard. In addition, Goten's prediction was revealed to be correct; in this form, Frieza's speed was adversely impeded by his own form and his movements were now considerably slower. Trunks and Goten gladly pointed it out to Frieza by demonstrating their far superior speed and delivering their blows, all while dancing around him like electrons did around an atomic nucleus.

"Now you know your mistake, dontcha? You sacrificed your speed for strength. Stupid."

"Yeah, Trunks is right. What's the use of your power if you can't hit us?"

"Not that you could hit us in the previous form anyway."

Somehow Frieza managed to escape the onslaught by Afterimaging just at the right split second, creating between them some distance. "Why, you…! You have no idea of what I can do in my full power!" he growled in exasperation, "If you think only my strength is increased in this form, you are gravely mistaken. My psychic powers are also increased significantly, and using that power I can dispose of you with ease!"

"Yeah, right."

"Do you think I am talking nonsense? See for yourself!"

Frieza then lifted both his hands to his eye level and conjured two sharp-rimmed saucers buzzing in a low-frequency hum, not unlike a silent chainsaw. "Let me see how well you dance. Finally, these monkeys chopped themselves in halves, and then there were none!"

With that the alien flung his energy chainsaws toward Trunks and Goten. They were familiar with this attack: a variation of Destructo Disk, and what the disks could do to them should they connect. They manoeuvred around to evade being halved, but—just like back in their timeline—with Frieza's telekinetic control the disks chased them around wherever they move. Again, they weren't impressed by this.

"Is that seriously all he's got?" Goten mumbled, "Poor guy…"

Frieza let out a crazy laugh at Trunks and Goten's apparent helplessness. "No matter where you go, they will eventually slice you into morsels! Now take this!"

At Frieza's command the energy disks gained velocity and headed straight toward the Saiyans. He smirked in delight when he saw them standing still, completely unmoving like sitting ducks on the intended trajectory of the disks. Victory was going to be his… or was it?

Much to Frieza's horror, Trunks powered up and caught one with unbelievable ease. Goten casually Afterimaged just as the other was about to slice him in half—making it look like the disk just passed right through him—before blowing it up with a single energy blast. The threat had been neutralised.

"IMPOSSIBLE!"

The ease at which the boys did all those impressive feats left Frieza in utter incredulity he couldn't even form words to express his shock. For all he knew, his Destructo Disks were supposed to be able to slice their way through absolutely everything, so how? How was it possible that Trunks and Goten just caught and destroyed them like they had been nothing?

"What's wrong? I thought you told me to take it," said Trunks, his voice dangerously calm, "Or do you wanna have it back? Then fetch!"

The little prince threw the magenta disk at Frieza. With no more control over his energy disk due to its trajectory having been disrupted, he had no other choice but to jump aside to avoid being bisected by his own attack. However, Goten quickly materialised near him, caught the disk, and flung it again at him; he barely managed to dodge it by backflipping, but it cost him a portion of his tail. When he landed and regained his balance, he was surprised to see the boys standing in front of him, smiling in a very mocking manner.

"Just… who… are you?" asked Frieza in utter shock and disbelief.

"Can't you tell? We're what you dread the most. We're Super Saiyans," replied Goten.

"Super… Saiyans?" Frieza stuttered. Those were the words he hated and feared with passion. That was the reason why he decimated the entire Saiyan race; he was afraid they would finally get strong enough to rebel against him during their annexation with his Planet Trade Organisation. "That is impossible! It is no more than a legend, lost in days well in the past! Stop making fairy tales!"

Trunks smirked. "Can it and believe your own eyes. You're looking at two of them. And we're not ordinary Super Saiyans. You see, your dreadful actions have helped us ascend to the next level."

Goten joined his friend in filling Frieza with the details. "Back in our time, you lost to my dad but survived. He was level one Super Saiyan. But now you're facing two level two Super Saiyans." He then turned to Trunks, "What do you think will happen to him, Trunks?"

"I'm still thinking about the possibilities. What do you think?"

"Why, me? I think he's gonna die."

* * *

><p>The battle carried on with exactly the same outcome as before: Frieza being tortured mercilessly by the youngsters. Fighting in his full power caused him to grow weary very quickly, while on the other hand Trunks and Goten had barely broken a sweat. During a moment of brief break, they took the opportunity to humiliate the alien even further; crossing their arms over their chest and sporting a mischievous—but extremely malicious—expression, they proceeded to talk him to death and shatter what was left of his pride.<p>

"I don't remember having been hit even once. You're getting tired, arentcha?"

"Pathetic loser. If you're tired, we'd be happy to end the game for you. Quick and painless, or slow and painful. Your call."

"Nuh-uh, it's MY call. How about the second option, Trunks? I'm sure he wants to know how Gohan and your dad felt when they died."

"Good idea, Goten. If the Dragon Balls were still around, I don't mind wishing him back to kill him again. Cool, huh?"

"Yeah, sounds fun."

The hybrids let out a sadistic laugh. At a glance Trunks and Goten might sound playful albeit slightly calmer and more serious than usual, but deep down inside they were actually burning with furious anger. It was evident from the change of their behaviours from when they first ascended; after their grief had been completely overridden by irresistible desire for vengeance, the normally reserved Goten became more talkative and taunted more frequently in an outwardly innocent and childish manner, while Trunks's malicious tendency to humiliate his opponents just got accentuated. Collectively, they tormented Frieza all the time since transforming, and they found it extremely enjoyable; this drastic shift of demeanour could be attributed to their newfound power with which they believed they were able to put the alien to rest, much like how their Gohan had toyed around with Cell after ascending to Super Saiyan 2 many years ago. Simply put, their playfulness was misleading, virulent, and deadly.

Frieza, of course, was far from pleased. He wasn't at all fond of being mocked relentlessly by mere children. "I am the most powerful being in the universe! I will not let mere children defeat me, and now it is about time you met your end!"

"That 'most powerful being' thing is getting old… I guess you should find some other lines," Goten shrugged, but then rubbed the back of his head and grinned. This time, however, it wasn't a sheepish smile that he gave; it was a very malevolent and dark one. "Ooh, I forget. Never mind. You're gonna die anyway."

"This guy's too much, he doesn't know when to quit. But that means he's tough, and we can torture him longer," said Trunks, gaining a nod of approval from his friend.

At this point Frieza was burning with fury. He cared about nothing else other than exterminating these brats, so he prepared to unleash his trump card. It might be overkill, but it had to be done. "Speak all you want. But know that I have the ability to survive in the vacuum of space, while you filthy Saiyan monkeys will simply decompress and pop like a balloon. It matters not if your power level is twice or even ten times as high as mine, or whether you block or dodge this," he gathered a massive amount of energy at his fingertip and slowly it assumed a spherical form which grew larger by the second, "because along with this planet you will be no more, and I shall have the last laugh!"

After delivering his speech, the white-skinned alien flew high into the sky and raised his right hand on which a red ball of energy the size of a commercial hot air balloon perched. The dimension of the sphere was so phenomenal; with that size and so much power, it would undoubtedly bore its way through the planet and blow it to smithereens. However, despite being left with no other option but to take the full force of the sphere head-on, Trunks and Goten remained unfazed and waited for Frieza to make his move.

"Now, let us conclude our closing ceremony with an entertaining fireworks display! DIE!"

What Frieza didn't know was that Trunks and Goten had been expecting this attack. They had a plan, and it was to end the battle with a huge blast—in a literal sense. Laughing in demented glee, he effortlessly launched the enormous sphere toward the Saiyans who maintained their deadly calm. The sphere travelled slower than most of Frieza's attacks, but there was no doubt it would destroy the entire planet if it went through their defences. They needed to devise a way to defend themselves and the planet, and that was exactly what they were going to do: reflect it.

"Go, Goten," Trunks gave Goten a cue—which he understood and acknowledged by Afterimaging somewhere—just before the sphere hit. He then focused all his energy on his palms and fired an attack he didn't usually use. "End of the line, freak show! FINAL FLASH!"

From up above, the sadistic overlord's maniacal laughter intensified as his Supernova hit the ground and started eating its way through the crust. However, fear quickly took over and he started trembling upon seeing his most powerful attack in his arsenal being pushed back by a lowly monkey's—as he put it—energy wave. He desperately tried to keep it from moving his way by channelling almost all the energy he had left, but to no avail. Trunks was winning.

Eventually realisation hit Frieza harder than a meteorite; if even this attack proved useless against those brats, he was screwed big time. "This… this cannot be! That ball is hundreds of times stronger than the one I torched that planet of the apes with! So how—AAAHH!"

"Wimp. It isn't supposed to hurt, but you screamed like a little girl?" a voice asked, "If it really hurts that much, then how do you think Gohan felt after you shot him? He didn't scream, he didn't cry. He even asked me to be strong."

When Frieza looked down, he saw an arm jutting out of his stomach; it was Goten's. He had almost superluminally made his way undetected to just behind him and punched right through his body as if it had been as soft as a pudding, causing the scream he let out earlier. The boy then quickly pulled his hand, now stained in purple blood, and placed his open palms above his head—one in front of the other, fingers going in opposite directions. His fake playful conduct now completely gone, he said very coldly as a yellow energy sphere started to form, "I'd like you to think about my brother as you die very slowly and painfully…"

"Wh-what… are—"

"Die, you lunatic."

In honour of the family members they had lost to Frieza, the half-Saiyans unleashed Gohan's and Vegeta's signature attacks against him to avenge them. With his attack, Trunks blasted the energy sphere toward its owner, while Goten's excessively powerful and fast full-powered wave—which he learned from his late brother while waiting for Trunks for their feast earlier—pushed Frieza toward his own attack. Confounded by the speed at which the younger Saiyan had crippled him with his merciless blow, Frieza didn't even have time to react; faster than the blink of an eye, he found himself hugging the surface of his own Supernova. Being sandwiched some a hundred metres above the ground between two immensely powerful energy waves, his skin was starting to scorch and melt due to sheer heat and his features began to distort. Sure enough, his doom was coming very slowly and painfully, true to Goten's promise.

"N-no! How is this possible?" Frieza cried out with as much strength as he could muster, "I… I refuse to… be defeated by… lowly monkeys! NO! THIS IS NOT HAPPENING!"

"For Gohan!" exclaimed Goten loud enough for Trunks to hear.

"For dad!" Trunks joined.

"For Dende!"

"For Guru!"

"And for everyone who died by your hands!" they shouted in unison, "DIE, FRIEZA!"

With one final surge, Trunks and Goten channelled their fury into their respective waves, feeding into the scarlet sphere an unbelievable amount of energy. It was almost beyond belief how for a moment Frieza was actually able to hold his ground—perhaps thanks to his psychic powers as he had said before—but the sheer output of power eventually overwhelmed him. It was a miserable end for him; he could only let out a bloodcurdling scream as every single atom in his body was disintegrated by an intense flare of energy coming from the Masenko and Final Flash forcing their way through the Supernova. In just a heartbeat, the enormous sphere finally yielded and produced an Other-Worldly explosion in a brilliant display of yellow, red, orange, and white hues, erasing traces of Frieza's existence and completely annihilating the possibility of his return as a cybernetics-enhanced being in this timeline.

Thus, marked with that magnificent display of fireworks, ended the regime of terror caused by the galactic tyrant.

* * *

><p>Dark clouds had veiled the sky when Goten touched down on the ground. Near him was a stubby white whip-like object which was the only thing left of Frieza: a portion of his tail, cut off by his own attack, which out of disgust Goten burnt to a crisp with a finger beam. Limping due to exhaustion, albeit still in his transformed state, he walked over toward the doorway of their spaceship where a little kid lay in complete lack of life. For a minute of complete silence—the only sounds he could hear were the gently rumbling thunder and his own aura crackling with bioelectricity—he just stood there, unsure of what to do next, before he sat down at Gohan's side.<p>

"Gohan… can you hear me? I did it. I've avenged you," he said, gently stroking his brother's cold forehead, "Why? I dunno. I just felt I needed to. Because you're my brother? Well, you may not be my true brother… but at the same time, you still are. But anyway, do you need a reason?"

Thoughts of his beloved brother began coursing wildly in his mind, bringing him deep into the indulgences of sweet memories. "Back in my time, I know you always want to switch places with me so you know how it feels to be a little brother. Yup, even until now, when you've had Videl as your wife. Hee-hee," he giggled and blushed slightly upon recalling Gohan and Videl's recent marriage, "Sometimes I heard you say to me, when you thought I was asleep, how lucky I'd been for having easy and peaceful times as a kid, and if given the chance you'd like so much to be me. Well, I guess I understand why now."

"You've had a hard childhood, Gohan... I guess that's why you're so strong, even when you weren't even my age. If it were me, I don't think I'm gonna make it alive. But now I think your wish has been granted, isn't it, Gohan? I came here… but I don't think I've done a good job. I failed to keep my promise to protect you…" at this point he began to cry, and as though mourning the sky sent down rain which got heavier by the second, "… and I'm sorry for that. Will you forgive me, Gohan? If you will, please give me a sign, because I dunno if I can forgive myself…"

Trunks, also still in his Super Saiyan 2 form, could only struggle with all his might not to cry at the sight of his friend sobbing uncontrollably. There was a strong urge deep within to console Goten, but for now he figured it was better to let him pour out all his feelings. Besides, he didn't know how to since he hadn't had the luxury of having a sibling; true, Goten had been his brother figure ever since he could remember, but after seeing how he interacted with Gohan, Trunks realised the difference between a brother and brother figure. All he could do was watch dispiritedly as he slowly accepted the hard truth that the hammer had fallen for him and his right to exist in this timeline had been effectively revoked.

"But now you don't have to worry anymore. Everything's over and you can be happy there. Don't forget me, okay?"

Goten then cradled his brother in his arms and washed the dirt off his face. He looked very calm as though he had been sleeping, perhaps thanks to Goten's presence right beside him during his final hours despite the fear and pain he must have experienced during that brief moment. As a final act of kindness, he went inside the ship to find his bookbag and took another shrunken shirt which had previously been his favourite. It was maroon-coloured; when he put it on Gohan in place of the old one, there was no telling whether it was blood from his wound or rainwater that was seeping into it.

After that, he flew to a nearby plateau and laid his brother's body there, an action which implied Gohan had the entire planet to himself as his resting place. Then, in strong belief that his words would transcend the confines of space and time of his dimension, all the way to the Other World, he reverted into his normal form and said, "Rest in peace, little brother."

As Goten said his final goodbye to Gohan, Trunks—now untransformed—joined him to pay his respect. He too ruffled Gohan's smooth mop top and whispered something which sounded like "we're proud of you", then put his hand on the younger boy's shoulder. "I'm… sorry for your loss, Goten," he said. For once, he found himself being very careful with his words.

"Thanks, Trunks. I'm sorry for yours, too…" replied Goten, "But… can we not talk about this? I'm not ready yet…"

Trunks knew so much how his best friend felt right now, so he respected his request and nodded in understanding. They sat together in silence beside Gohan's body, reminiscing about the events that had transpired since their first meeting. Their rescue of him. Buying time for him to get to Guru's and fetch Dende. Goten giving his shrunken shirt to him. Revelation of their origins. Working together to fight Frieza. His first transformation. Their celebration. And finally… his deeply felt passing.

In the middle of their walk through the bittersweet memory lane, a gentle breeze picked up, carrying with it a soft, cheerful laughter as well a whisper which was almost lost in the sound of the falling rain.

"_Be patient, big brother…_"

Trunks's ear caught the whisper. Looking confused, he asked his friend, "Did you hear that, Goten?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Do you think it's… Gohan?"

Goten turned his head to Gohan and again a drop of tear ran down his cheeks. Not a tear of sadness, mind you, but one of relief. This was the sign he had asked before, and to him it symbolised two things: Gohan's forgiveness and happiness. Then, images of his 'little' brother smiling and laughing started to manifest in his mind and succeeded in making him crack a smile. Those were the only things Goten needed to know, and to say the least, he was glad.

"Yeah. I dunno what he meant by 'be patient'… but I know he's happy."

* * *

><p><em>Post-note: I'll be in a business trip for the rest of the week during which I have limited access to the Internet… that's why I decided to upload this chapter sooner. I apologise in advance if there's a slight delay in updates. I'll be thinking about the story in my free time, though, so hopefully, and if I can find the time for the 'net, there's something to post in the interim. Thanks for your understanding!<em>


	17. Wishes

_Pre-note: Along with this update I released a one-shot titled Interim, and it serves as a supplement to chapters 15, 16, and 17 of this story. I highly recommend you to finish this chapter before reading the one-shot, though, since it contains major spoilers._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT / Hachiko._

_Have a good read._

* * *

><p>The rain had subsided and two of Namek's three suns again cast their rays upon the land.<p>

Unheeding of the cold they might catch, Trunks and Goten had sat in silence by Gohan's body throughout the rain. They, especially Goten, felt hesitant to leave the kid all alone in the vast expanse of the planet, deep in space, far away from home; how should they explain it to Goku and Chichi? How would they react upon learning about their return without Gohan?

As much as Goten was pained by the thought of his parents not being able to even take a glimpse on their son after his departure, he knew this was the most logical course of action to take. They too hadn't expected this to happen, so Trunks of course didn't include cryogenic chamber among the capsules he had brought here. If they had brought one with them they could easily transport Gohan back to earth since the rate at which cells deteriorate would be considerably slowed down in frigid temperatures, but without it… considering the journey back home would take five days, the best thing to be done was to leave him here.

However, despite Goten's efforts to steer his mind to some other thoughts, it just homed back to this particular one. He felt guilty; to relieve his burden, he attempted a conversation with his best friend, breaking the silence between them which had lasted for at least half an hour.

"Trunks?"

"Yeah, Goten?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Why not? Shoot."

Goten found himself unable to phrase what he had in mind. "I dunno how to say it, but… how do you feel," he paused for a while to find the suitable words to say, "if someone you haven't seen in a long time, someone you care about so much, suddenly just goes missing from your life?"

Hearing Goten's question, Trunks briefly flashed an uncomfortable look which he quickly tried to conceal. It didn't go unnoticed by Goten, though, who upon noticing his friend's reaction quickly realised his mistake and apologised dejectedly. He had presented the wrong question to the wrong person at the wrong time, and it certainly wasn't a good idea to begin with; during that final battle between them and Frieza, it could be said Vegeta just disappeared, which placed Trunks in a similar situation to what Goten thought his parents would be in.

"Nah, it's okay," said Trunks while patting Goten on the back. He was slightly hurt, alright, but he knew Goten bore no ill will with his inquiry. "Well, let's look at it. You're expecting him… or her," he quickly corrected himself to avoid subconsciously referring to either Gohan or Vegeta, "to return someday, but actually he or she's nowhere to be found. Can you imagine that?"

"Then you wait, but the worst part is that you have no idea he or she's not gonna return. And if it's someone you really care about, of course you're gonna keep waiting, and waiting, and waiting. You ever watched the movie Hachiko?" he asked. Goten responded with a head shake, so he began, "Well, it's about this dog who was very loyal to his master. They were very close to each other, and every evening Hachiko would wait at the train station for his master to arrive from work."

"But one day, the master suffered from a fatal heart attack while he was at work. Hachiko of course didn't know about this…" he paused before continuing, "Every evening, he would visit the station and wait there for his master, and this kept up for nine years. Nine whole years, Goten… and finally he passed away waiting for someone who would never return. Yeah, he's that loyal, but you see… it kinda gives you false hope, and it's…" he stopped, not quite sure if he was unwilling or unable to continue.

Seeing this, Goten was overcome with even heavier guilt and—after hearing the tale of Hachiko—his eyes began to sting. He knew he should've kept it to himself; because of him Trunks got dragged into his problem and was now feeling uneasy. "… sorry, Trunks. We don't have to continue if you don't feel like it."

Silence followed, and during this period no one said anything. It was almost five full minutes before Trunks stood up to stretch; before he could do that, however, a voice rang in their head, calling their names. Upon hearing that voice he had grown to hate with all his heart, Trunks suddenly lost the desire to stretch and a vicious scowl formed on his face. He thought he wouldn't have to hear that voice again, but boy, was he wrong.

"You did it, children," it said.

"He's yours, Goten. I don't wanna deal with him," the thirteen-year-old growled and covered his ears. It was no use, of course, since the communication was established telepathically. Goten complied and offered himself to speak with.

"Trunks, I understand why you're so mad at me. I disturbed you while you were at your angriest. That's okay, you don't have to say a word if you don't want to. I'll just speak with Goten," said King Kai.

"Mm-hmm, I'm listening," replied the younger Saiyan.

"Now, I know where you're from and how you're related to Gohan and Vegeta," the higher being continued, raising an alarmed response from Goten. Before he could reply, he assured him that their secrets were safe with him and that their conversation was secure. That having been said, judging from his following question, it seemed King Kai had another agenda. "May I ask you something quite… sensitive, Goten?"

"As long as it's something I can handle, I don't mind…" he replied again although there was an uneasy feeling eating away from within.

"Okay. So you were stubborn that the Dragon Balls are dead. Suppose they're still active, how do you feel about wishing Gohan back?"

Goten was totally surprised and Trunks was extremely enraged at how King Kai was able to ask such question rather nonchalantly. At the words 'Dragon Balls' he winced; it looked as though now he feared those words with passion, and he began to regret his decision for having said 'yes' to King Kai's earlier question. "Uh… are you joking around? It's a cruel one, you know…" he said sadly. He was starting to understand why Trunks didn't like this guy at all.

"No, just answer me. I know you and Gohan are very close to each other. How do you feel about wishing him back?"

Despite having vowed to ignore conversation attempts from the Galaxy Ruler, Trunks couldn't stand seeing his friend being agonised like that and finally lashed out on his behalf, "Screw you, idiot! You heard Goten, stop with your sick joke already! He doesn't wanna talk about—"

"Trunks, it's okay. I'll handle him," Goten cut Trunks off mid-sentence. His decision earned him a strange look from the lilac-haired boy, but he carried on and answered King Kai nonetheless. "Alright. You want my answer, dontcha? Well, of course I want him back! Do you even have to ask if you know how close I am to Gohan?" he tried not to snap, but it proved very hard, "Do you know how I felt when Frieza killed him? I felt miserable, King Kai. I failed to keep my promise to protect him. If given the chance, I'd be happy to give my life for him. He's my brother. I love him as much as Gohan back in my time."

"And Vegeta, Dende, Guru, too… everyone killed by Frieza. If the balls are still alive, I'd go anywhere to look for them and wish those people back. Plus, I'm sure Trunks would be happy to have Vegeta back, too. But note my use of conditionals! Why, King Kai? Why is a what-if scenario so important to you? It won't make a difference!" he unknowingly shouted his last sentence. Then, noticing he was slightly agitated, he took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. "There, I said it. I hope it satisfies your strange sense of humour."

"… okay, then it's settled. That's more than what I need to know. Thanks, Goten."

As abruptly as it had begun, King Kai terminated his telepathic transmission. Goten was left in confusion; just what was it that King Kai wanted? Surely he hadn't called only to vex him, but what really was the point of the entire conversation? It was all about one huge, idealistic hypothetical chronology he could only dream of.

"What a jerk. You noticed how easily he asked you that question, didntcha?" asked Trunks. It was evident he was trying hard not to curse and swear at King Kai and how he had always interfered at the worst possible time.

"I didn't give it much thought…" replied Goten, "I thought I'd just say everything and let him know how I really feel."

"You sure you're okay, Goten?"

"I dunno, Trunks. I think I just need a little time…"

The sight of his crestfallen friend obviously didn't register as normal in Trunks's mind. For all he knew, Goten was supposed to be perpetually happy and cheerful, so this couldn't happen! "Hey, buddy," he said in an attempt to cheer him up, "You know you can always talk to me. Yeah, there goes my chance to be born here, and heck, I'm very sad, too… but I'll do my best to help you. Dontcha dare not believing it, got it?"

How relieved Trunks was when the younger boy reciprocated his approach with a sincere thanks and smile, albeit a weak one. That was enough for him, though; Goten had always been the more delicate one among them, and considering his great loss, he was taking it quite well. In addition, it might not be apparent just yet, but something had undoubtedly changed within him since ascending. What had changed?

Somehow, to Trunks's pleasant surprise, Goten seemed to be more mature, and it was evident from how he had handled everything, especially when he expressed his thoughts to the late Gohan—despite his tears of helplessness—right after Frieza's death. Be that as it may, just like how it had always been, Goten would always look up to Trunks, so despite the fact that Vegeta's death had also done a number on him and that he was struggling to cope with his certain nonexistence, he too needed to stay strong… not only for himself, but for both of them.

In the middle of his thoughts, Trunks was suddenly reminded of one final thing to do before returning to earth: fetching his mother. The sky was getting dark again although not even fifteen minutes had elapsed since it last rained, so he needed to make his move quickly. He wouldn't want to find her mother soaked in the rain, and not only once, but twice.

"The weather sure is unpredictable, huh… I'm gonna get mom before it starts raining again," Trunks mumbled as he walked toward the edge of the plateau they were on. He then turned to Goten whose attention was focused on Gohan for some reason. "It's okay if you wanna stay here, I can go—"

"Gohan…?"

"Huh?"

The sound of Gohan's name caught Trunks's attention. It seemed Goten was more devastated than he thought, so he again approached his best friend to ensure him everything was going to be just fine. However, he—and also Goten—was in for a huge surprise: something they would never expect, something they could only dream of.

When Trunks was about to kneel down, the little boy who was lying deprived of life on the ground squirmed a little. Before Trunks and Goten were able to register his minuscule movements, he suddenly and very casually just sat up in front of them.

Yes, Gohan sat up.

And no, it wasn't a dream.

Did he just return to life?

"WAH! What the heck?" the two hybrids shouted in unison, their expression looking as though they had just seen a ghost. Not believing the sight in the slightest bit, Trunks flew back in fright and Goten sprang in surprise.

Gohan stretched furiously and rubbed his eyes as though he had just woken up from a night's worth of sleep. "Um… uh… G-goten?"

The spiky-haired preteen stared at him in bewilderment, wondering if his mind was playing some kind of a cruel joke on him. He did a double take and stole a glance at the space above his brother's head; he was expecting to see a radiant halo, but there was nothing. He felt like something was violently thrashing his brain he couldn't even think. How was this possible? Just what on earth had happened?

"Big brother! Trunks!" exclaimed the tyke when he was finally able to perceive the world. Gohan promptly lunged at Goten and wrapped his hands around his neck in childish glee he had rarely shown before meeting him. The 'older' brother didn't budge one bit, although Gohan didn't plan to let go of his hug even if he was shoved away. "Hello, we meet again! Wow, this is awesome!"

Totally petrified and unable to make sense of what was taking place, Goten stuttered, "Gohan, oh my gosh. Why… how? What just happened? Am I dead?"

"No, silly! You see…"

Gohan proceeded to spill everything out and it really came as a total shocker for both Trunks and Goten. It turned out Piccolo had been revived by Porunga, but the poor Dragon just hadn't had the chance to break the good news. During Gohan's transit in the Other World, he had succeeded in persuading the people on earth to use their newly revived Dragon Balls to wish back everyone but the very evil ones whom Frieza had murdered. The hybrid friends were taken aback by this revelation; that would mean it wasn't going to rain… the sky got dark because Guru and Porunga was revived. After he had divulged everything he had to say, Goten—now convinced that both he and Gohan were alive and well—reciprocated the hug in pure joy.

"Gohan, you dunno how much I missed you," he said, unsure whether to smile or sob. Nevertheless, it went without saying that he was happy beyond belief.

"I told you to be patient, right?" Gohan retorted with a very cheerful expression.

From a distance, Trunks too cracked a smile seeing his best friend return to his happy, cheerful self. However, he couldn't shrug off the fact that his father wouldn't return; to be honest, he was quite disappointed of the decision to bring back only the good guys. Of course, it prevented Frieza's underlings the overlord himself had killed from being resurrected, but as far as Vegeta was concerned, he was also exempted from that wish.

For the love of the guardian, he had terrorised earth, pillaged whole Namekian villages, and taken many innocent lives in his pursuit for ultimate strength. With all those misdeeds he had done, how was he considered good? Trunks could only let out a dejected sigh as memories of his father-to-be ran wild in his mind. The flame-haired Saiyan once said he was proud of him, his son, but it was a thing of the past… and now he would never hear his voice again.

"Boy."

Yes, that very voice. The voice which was lost in time, in space, the voice of the man who was supposed to father him. There was no way—hold on a minute.

Trunks turned around and saw a very familiar figure hovering in the air, his ever-sharp ebony eyes level with his own. There was no mistaking it, alright, but was it really him? His father? He did a double take to see if his mind was messing around with him, but no. He was very much alive, as alive as he was. The lilac-haired preteen was overcome with emotions; he was a proud one, though, so he struggled hard to suppress the urge to rush toward Vegeta and hug him. Oh, no, only Goten would do that; besides, his father wouldn't like it one bit.

"I don't know what happened, but I don't feel Frieza anywhere. I believe you've killed him, haven't you?" asked Vegeta. His usual smirk was supplied free-of-charge. "Need I say again I'm proud of you?"

That turned out to be the final straw. Unable to contain his emotions, for once Trunks let a drop of joyful tear escape his cerulean orbs. He no longer cared why his father could be brought back to life, because all that mattered was that he was now here. That would mean the revocation of his right to exist in this timeline was now void. He had a theory, though; perhaps Vegeta's efforts to take Gohan under his wing—even though the ultimate goal was for his personal gain—and his acceptance of Trunks had somewhat diluted the evil in his heart and shed some light, allowing him to be included in Gohan's wish. Whether his hypothesis was right or wrong, only heaven knew, but again it didn't matter.

Seeing this, the Son brothers too produced their cheerful grins. Being a happy-go-lucky boy he was, Goten initially intended to join Trunks in his celebration, but it looked like Vegeta still hadn't warmed up to him; upon getting a glare from the adult Saiyan, he cowered like a helpless puppy, prompting a genuine laughter from his best friend. The 'little' brother, however, reminded him about what they had to do: wishing back two of the four warriors who had fallen in their battle against Vegeta and Nappa. They had to do it quick, though; there was no telling if Porunga would get bored of the waiting and decide to leave the party early.

"Trunks, it's okay if you wanna stay here," said Goten in the exact same tone Trunks had used when saying a similar line to him earlier, "We'll get Dende, make Gohan's wishes, and get your mom. We'll be back in no time!"

And just like that, quicker than human eyes could follow, the ever-hyper Goten ascended into his Super form and blasted off into the distance—with Gohan happily sitting on his back, of course—to do whatever it was they needed to do, leaving Trunks and Vegeta by themselves. Heck, they didn't even give him a chance to answer.

"… brats," Vegeta mumbled.

Trunks sighed and smiled weakly. Now that he was alone with his father, it might be a good time to have a word with his father. Well, he might not be—scratch that, he MUST not be—fond of the idea of a father-and-son talk, but you can't blame him for trying, right?

Yes, perhaps Trunks and Goten's decision to visit this timeline had caused it to derail from its intended path… but looking back at how events had transpired and how things were now, it must've been for the better.


	18. Of Brother and Father

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Happy reading!_

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><p>"Thanks for everything, Dende. I won't forget you."<p>

"Gohan… will you return someday?"

"I dunno… I hope, someday, I will."

"I'll miss you."

"Me too."

Gohan's parting with Dende symbolically sealed an agreement between them. When the Namekian Dragon Balls were available for use 130 days later, Dende would wish back Tien and Chiaotzu, the remaining warriors on King Kai's planet. The Namekians, of course, had no problem with this; they would do anything in return for Gohan, Goten, and Trunks's noble deeds they had done for them.

From their ship's doorway, Trunks, Goten, and Krillin watched Gohan's tearful moment with Dende with a weak smile. The hybrids totally understood how the tyke felt; he was just five years old, had been living in relative isolation, and he had never really had a friend his own age. When he finally did find one, this crazy space tyrant just had to stroll in and ruin the scene by murdering them one after another, although thankfully victims of said freak could be brought back to life. Then again, even after their revival, Gohan could only spend so little time with Dende before they had to return to earth. He was a lonely kid, and Trunks and Goten suddenly felt extremely blessed for having each other to turn to in good times and bad.

But everything with a beginning was bound to have an end, and it was time for them to go. Bracing himself for a bittersweet farewell, Gohan walked up the ramp and entered the ship, and they all—except Bulma and Vegeta; no, don't jump into conclusions. The former had to ensure their safe departure from the pilot seat and the latter just sat in silence by the gravity control machine—waved a final goodbye as the shutter lowered and finally shut, effectively sealing the spacefarers from the outside world. With just a push of a button, the Capsule Corp ship took off in astounding speed.

Finally, after everything that had taken place, they were in their way back to earth. But would it be a smooth journey? We shall find out…

* * *

><p>"Alright, you. Now spill it out!"<p>

Even in this timeline, Bulma was no different. She wasn't someone to mess around with, just like Chichi, and those not familiar with her would surely compare her to a harpy. After careful evaluation, Krillin deduced that he played no part in triggering Bulma's wrath and decided not to interfere. Much to Trunks, Goten, and Gohan's chagrin, he stealthily moved aside with a shifty gleam in his eyes, leaving the terrified Saiyan boys at the brilliant scientist-engineer's mercy.

"Wh-what do you mean, spill it out?" Trunks stuttered, "We've told you already, we're from the future!"

"It doesn't answer who you are!" Bulma roared. The sheer volume of her voice almost defeated the sound of running engines in terms of loudness. "Look at your hair! The genes that result in that hair colour are exclusive to my family!"

That was bad. It was true that Vegeta had been aware of Trunks's heritage, but the lilac-haired hybrid knew his mother wouldn't like the idea of getting together with Vegeta, at least not yet. Just like how he thought his father would rather die than marry an earthling, his mother would surely opt for a life of celibacy any day over marrying Vegeta. Initially Trunks had planned to break the news to Bulma very, very gently so as not to shock her, but now that she had taken a head start his brain couldn't think of anything else but cry uncle. When he turned to Goten for help, he got nothing but a shrug in response.

"Once an idiot, always an idiot," said Vegeta in a disdainful tone. He was watching Trunks's ordeal from across the room, and for some reason it raised his interest. "I bet she can't even tell if the boy is a Saiyan!"

Oh, way to go, Vegeta! Being a boy of wordplay, Trunks jawdropped at his father's remark and what was behind it; heck, it could very well divulge everything prematurely! Really, he didn't understand why his father decided to butt in and spoil everything. "Dad, don't say—"

Oops.

Bad move on his part.

"What? Dad? Vegeta's YOUR dad? Well, that's a surprise," Bulma jeered at Vegeta, "Considering your cruelty and rudeness, it's amazing to think that you managed to get yourself… a… wife…"

As she finished her sentence, everything suddenly clicked inside her head. Trunks was Vegeta's son. He had the genes carrying the hair colour exclusive to her family. It didn't take long for her to put two and two together, and upon learning about the truth, one couldn't possibly miss her face slowly assuming a lighter hue. Well, it seemed this time Trunks was the one who dropped the bombshell, and he was going to take the full force of the explosion.

The elder Son knew full well what would happen next. "Good luck, Trunks," he whispered to his friend. He didn't want to witness what was about to come; in record time, he seized his brother and Afterimaged downstairs. He could've sworn, before making his little escape, he could almost hear Trunks plead for help.

In the pantry, Goten unceremoniously seated himself on one of the chairs and started munching on his favourite chocolate Pocky sticks. He suddenly remembered the promise they had made to Gohan upon first meeting him, so he offered the rest of the pack to his brother, which he so gladly accepted. Looking up, he mumbled loud enough for Gohan to hear, "It should be any second now…"

Before the 'little' brother could even ask, a horrified, high-pitched scream could be heard. A chain of unintelligible sentences—they couldn't really identify the words Bulma was spewing out from her mouth, but judging from the tone they seemed to be a collection of denials—lasting for five good minutes followed afterward, and everything was ended by the poor lady rushing into the bedroom and slamming the door shut.

However, it seemed the show was far from over yet, and just as Gohan took a seat beside his brother, the second act began. This time, the audience was presented a verbal battle between a certain proud son by the name of Trunks and his even prouder father.

"Great, she's mad. Knowing her, it'll take her hours to recover."

"Earthling woman. What an enigma!"

"Way to go, dad. You just had to interfere, didntcha?"

"Well, is it my fault that you told the truth?"

"You gotta make up for this! What if she hates you and I don't get born?"

"It's none of my business. I believe I've said things aren't bound to be the same here."

And so it commenced, a lengthy string of arguments which again they couldn't comprehend. Goten made no attempt to understand what they were talking about, though, while Gohan was worried about something. In fact, he felt bad for Krillin who had to hear and see everything that was taking place, but it seemed he needed not be concerned after all; the fact that they hadn't heard anything from the ex-monk—even when Trunks and Vegeta's little debate had subsided—just testified that he was a man of really strong heart, or that he slept throughout the auditory torture.

"They're such a happy family," Goten giggled, then wrapped his arm around his brother's shoulder, "But not as happy as us."

"Is Trunks gonna be okay, Goten?" asked Gohan, now concerned about his friend.

"Ah, don't worry, Gohan, this is nothing. You have no idea how much trouble we'd caused in the past."

"What trouble?"

Goten then proceeded to recount to his brother all those times when he and Trunks got into trouble, thanks to their unending list of pranks and their horrifying results. He had pulled too many pranks on countless people he found it difficult to choose which one to tell to Gohan first, so he began with a particular one he could never forget: flushing some explosives down the toilet and detonating them while Vegeta was conveniently dropping a bomb. At the thought of all that chocolaty goodness forcefully spraying out of the toilet bowl, Gohan broke free of his politeness-over-all policy and laughed his head off like crazy; if given the chance he'd like so much to try it on someone.

When the brothers were in a gleeful exchange, there came Trunks hovering down from the main room. "Some friend you are, eh, Goten, Gohan? Leaving me in a tight spot like that," he glowered.

"Trunks, come sit here!" unheeding of Trunks's irritation, Gohan gestured for Trunks to join them, "Goten's telling me about all the pranks you did before."

It seemed Gohan's mention of the word 'prank' caught the eldest hybrid's attention; judging from the look on the eldest hybrid's face, he had dropped everything that was burdening his mind and he soon found himself joining Goten and Gohan in their recollection. When it was Trunks's turn to tell his story, he recounted a prank he had classified as one of their 'Perfect Pranks'. It was one which they had made for a New Year party, where they were required to hide under a buffet table and engage a number of rocket-type fireworks at one to twelve o'clock. The end result was extremely lively, as they put it; just as the clock struck midnight, the table was knocked over, sending food and drink flying everywhere—some even landed on unfortunate faces—and setting off a brilliant display of fireworks high up in the sky.

There were so many practical jokes Trunks and Goten had carried out in their childhood and they would share each and every one of them with Gohan. They had no idea how long would it take for their time machine to be repaired, but maybe, just maybe, in the interim, with the help of this five-year-old recruit, they could relive their childhood passion of being despicable spoilsports.

* * *

><p>"Aw, can't we play just one more time?"<p>

"But Gohan, it's already late… let's play again tomorrow."

The fourth day was ending, and the trip back home had been mostly uneventful. Bulma would lock herself in the room, sometimes creating problems especially when the others were in an urgent need to use the bathroom. After dinner, Vegeta would shoo the hybrids and Krillin and have the main room for himself to train, so they had to evacuate downstairs. Luckily Trunks had brought some board games with him; while waiting for Vegeta to finish his training—and he wouldn't finish before the 'Earth Time' clock displayed four zeros—they would choose one among so many available games and play. The game of their choice, a strategy-style resource-trading multiplayer game, proved very entertaining and addictive, and for the past three days they always spent their evening playing it. Being born with an inquisitive mind, it didn't take long for Gohan to master the game; equipped with his shrewd thinking and ability to make critical decisions, in less than one night he had proved himself a formidable force to be reckoned with.

But Goten was right. Vegeta was already done with his training—he had even had his shower; how he always managed to have Bulma allow him to use the bathroom after midnight was beyond everyone—and since for some reason he preferred to sleep in the pantry, he ordered them to move upstairs. Besides, it was way past Gohan's bedtime; usually he would've fallen asleep by the time the clock struck ten and the others would carry on with the game without him, but today he was so on fire he managed to keep the drowsiness at bay and last all the way until midnight.

"See, you're already sleepy," Goten ruffled his brother's mop top when he saw him let out a huge yawn, "C'mon. Let's get you to bed."

"I'm not… sleepy…" Gohan countered, but his droopy eyes said otherwise and he knew it. He very lazily climbed onto Goten's back, draped his arms on his shoulders, and was taken upstairs.

The sight of the brotherly bond they exhibited was really heartwarming, and Krillin couldn't help cracking a smile. He asked Trunks, "Do they act like that in your timeline?"

The boy stayed silent for a while, thinking about what he should begin with. "Well, our Gohan's the big brother, but yeah, they were very close. In our time, for a reason I can't tell you, Goku wasn't around for Goten in his childhood, so Gohan had to take care of him. He taught him how to fly, how to control his energy… sometimes he could be very stupid, but he was a great big brother," he elaborated. However, his expression suddenly turned slightly gloomy. "But they aren't that close anymore. Gohan's living with his wife now, and sometimes Goten feels quite lonely."

A look of comprehension dawned on Krillin's face and he nodded in understanding. "Oh, I get it. So Goten wants to spend as much time with this Gohan as possible before you guys get back home."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Are you dimwits done with your twitter? If you are, move your sorry bottoms up there before I burn them to a crisp, because I'm trying to get some rest here!"

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Vegeta, an unparalleled expert in ruining profound moments. Not wanting to suffer his wrath, Krillin immediately did as told to have his rest.

Trunks, however, stayed a little bit longer. He pondered over his words earlier, during which he found himself thinking that Goten was very fortunate to have a sibling. He wanted to know how it felt to be a brother or to have one; well, it was true that he was so close to Goten they could be considered brothers—or partners in crime, to be more specific—but they were just that: brother figures. He and Goten weren't related by blood. Perhaps, upon getting back to his timeline, he could have a word with his mother regarding this matter and see if she would reward his courageous effort with something breathtaking. Yeah, it would be nice to have a new addition to the family. He was confident of his 'skills' especially considering he had always been the dominant one in his friendship with Goten, and he would just exhibit the same kind of dominance to his baby sibling… right?

"Boy! I'll have you know my fuse is short."

Trunks's train of thought was broken by an unpleased growl from his father. "Sheesh, alright, alright…" he rolled his eyes, "Good night, dad."

After Vegeta acknowledged him with a grunt, he too flew back upstairs. The main room was their bedroom, and they had been doing it this way since the first day; with Bulma insisting that she ought to sleep in the room and Vegeta claiming the pantry as his own, they were left with no other choice. True, with only a sheet of blanket separating them from the floor, they had to huddle together and the sleep wasn't in the slightest bit comfortable, but hey, they were just a day away from springy, comfortable beds. They had survived so far, they wouldn't die.

Trunks was amazed at the speed Krillin had sent himself into the la-la land. Gohan too was sound asleep like a baby, but Goten was still sitting and wide awake. Walking toward him, he greeted him, "Having trouble sleeping?"

"Hey. I was just thinking…"

"You've been thinking a lot lately, huh?"

"Mm-hmm. It's about Gohan…"

"Huh, that's new. You never worried about him before," Trunks sported a puzzled look, then took a seat beside his friend, "Well, I'm here to listen, so just spill it out if you want to. It's not good keeping things to yourself… you can get a stomach ulcer, you know."

The middle hybrid smiled and accepted the offer. "Thanks, Trunks. Hmm, how should I start?"

And so Goten proceeded to divulge everything in his mind about this timeline's Gohan, which came as a slight surprise to Trunks. Basically he was worried if he had done the right thing by spoiling his brother that much, and if Gohan's strong and hardy personality would be altered because of it. To be honest, he didn't want to get too attached to Gohan; he feared that their eventual return to their timeline would impact Gohan negatively since he would need to endure yet another loss of someone dear, so to say.

Trunks didn't think this would be the case, however. He reminded Goten of how strong Gohan was, especially for a kid his age, citing the conversation they had gone through a few days ago about living without the Dragon Balls as an example. Goten acknowledged this, but he still couldn't brush away the fact that he would certainly feel guilty for being so attached to Gohan only to eventually go away, never to return again. He was afraid his brother would break down.

"Man, you're thinking too much. Wait here, I'll be right back," said Trunks. He carefully made his way down to the pantry and in just a moment returned with two cups of milk that he heated up with a small sphere of energy. "Here. It should help you relax a bit."

Goten gratefully took one cup, then suggested that they sit on the pilot seats in the cockpit for better comfort, a proposition which Trunks agreed. After settling himself on one of the seats, the eldest began, "Where were we… oh, yeah. I think it's a bit too late if you just think about it now. I mean, look at both of you now. You and Gohan are always together, just like envelope and stamp," he analogised, gaining a giggle from Goten, "and suddenly, you're just gonna throw everything away? You're such a dummy if you do it. I mean, c'mon, you're supposed to know better than me. He's your brother, and I don't even have one."

He continued, "Look, Gohan also likes being doted on by you. He enjoys your company, I'm positive. We know life's been a pain for him, so dontcha think he deserves all that affection? And you're doing well, Goten! You're a great big brother! Don't let Gohan down, just use what little time we have to bond with him. Plus, he's smart, and I'm sure he knows we have to leave eventually. He's not gonna bawl his eyes out over it. He's not you, he's strong."

Goten pouted and playfully elbowed Trunks for his last sentence, but he knew everything he had said was simple, plain truth. Trunks was right. He shouldn't make Gohan another Hachiko by giving him false hope; he would be more devastated if Goten just withdrew all the affection he had been showering him with. "So you're saying it's okay to just go on?"

"Why not? He won't turn into a spoiled brat, he just looks up to you as a friend and brother," replied Trunks, "Heck, you two are the best brothers I've ever seen. And you know what, I think taking care of Gohan has made you more mature."

"Huh? You think so, Trunks?"

"Goten."

Goten was answered by a voice from behind, but he didn't have to turn around to know it was Gohan. Who else would come strolling to them and call for him in the middle of the night? But the better question was why would he do that?

And finding out was what he did. He stood up from his seat and approached his brother. "Hey. What is it, Gohan?"

"I can't sleep," Gohan mumbled while rubbing his eyes.

"Ooh, I thought you gave a huge yawn before?" the 'older' brother chuckled, then handed him his cup of hot milk, "Here, you should drink this. Trunks said it should help you relax."

"Yeah, that's it. Go and be a good big brother, pal," Trunks grinned.

Gohan complied and carefully sipped the hot liquid. After he finished it, the Sons exchanged a "good night" with Trunks, and Goten appended a "thank you" prior to escorting his brother back to the main room to get him to sleep again. It seemed drowsiness was slowly getting the better of Trunks, too; he gave a yawn and stretched furiously, chugged the content of his cup in one go—burning his tongue in the process; the poor boy forgot the milk was hot—and finally decided to have his own share of rest.

As he stood up, he sighed and said to himself, 'Man, look at them. I really wanna be a brother too…'

* * *

><p>"Goten. Hey, wake up."<p>

"Mmm… don't… want…"

"Hurry up or you're gonna miss it! Tsk… okay, let's see how you handle this. Breakfast's ready!"

"Huh? Breakfast? Where?"

"Nowhere. Now suppress your power level and follow me!"

According to the 'Earth Time' clock it was three in the morning, but something had woken him up and alarmed him: there was someone else in the main room. How surprised he was when he found out it was his mother, but what could she be doing wandering around in circles by the ladder leading to the pantry? When she finally went downstairs, though, he could hear her trying to wake Vegeta up. Wow! A conversation in the middle of the night? This wasn't one to miss out, he was sure of it; that was why he woke Goten up. To share the joy.

Goten frowned upon knowing that his friend had used that dirty trick of waking him up. When Trunks told him they were going to spy on his parents, however, he got all excited; he complied, kept his power level as low as possible, and followed Trunks to the ladder shaft, all while staying low and silent. Making sure they didn't get too close to the opening on the floor, they settled and heightened their auditory sensitivity.

Sure enough, they were presented with an exchange between the two adults… a rather interesting one, one might say.

"What do you want?" an annoyed-sounding voice growled. Of course it was Vegeta.

"You don't have to sleep here, you know," replied Bulma.

"Stupid woman. You're disturbing my rest just to tell me that? I might not have to, but I want to."

"Oh, be quiet. I'm offering you a more comfortable option. There's an extra mattress in my room, you can use it."

"What?" the prince hollered, irritation and disbelief present in his voice, "What makes you think I'm going to occupy the same room as you?"

"Well, the offer still stands… it's your call."

Silence followed, and the two hybrids couldn't help jawdropping at the topic of the conversation. Did they hear everything right? Bulma, who had barely spoken a word during the past four days, just allowed Vegeta, of all people, to enter the bedroom? Not only that, she allowed him to spend the rest of his night there. And why did she have to reserve the extra mattress for him? That proved too much for them to handle, and they had to struggle hard—really hard it actually felt painful—not to laugh.

Their glee was interrupted by the sound of someone going up the stairs, though, so they had to scurry back to their makeshift bed before they got busted for eavesdropping. They—especially Trunks—were disappointed when they saw only Bulma emerging from the ladder shaft and returned to the bedroom, but it seemed things just got better; Vegeta emerged shortly afterward and entered the bedroom without even stopping to give it a second thought.

Of course, the twin terrors were extremely thrilled and amused at this turn of events. After the full-blooded Saiyan shut the door in a rather rude manner, their eyes became as wide as a saucer and it seemed an adult's fist could pass through their mouth. Their little espionage mission was a success, and boy, was the reward worth it.

"Trunks?"

"Hmm?"

"Ooohh."

Goten let out that schmaltzy expression which succeeded in cracking Trunks up. Again, they struggled to suppress their giggles, and to prevent themselves from succumbing to a fit of insane laughter, they pinched each other real hard on the arm. That hurt a lot, alright, but it had to be done so as not to raise suspicion from the two adults or wake Gohan and Krillin up. They then returned to sleep—or at least tried to return to sleep—although they had to endure a series of violent spasms, a side effect of containing their laughter.

Oh yes, it seemed Vegeta and Bulma had taken a brave step to embark on a journey toward a brighter future.


	19. Back to Where They've Never Been

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Happy reading!_

* * *

><p>The time had finally come.<p>

After five long days of joyous—perilous for Vegeta—trip, they finally made it to the familiar Solar System. In just a few minutes, they would make their landing on earth, the place they rightfully called 'home', and with that their crazy spacefaring adventure would come to a close. Gohan's mission was a complete success, and one additional perk came with it: the three halflings were now considered heroes of the galaxy for having bravely neutralised Frieza and his henchmen.

Of course, to say they were excited really didn't do the boys justice at all. While waiting for their time-travelling vehicle to be repaired, which might or might not take a long time, the troublesome trio would spend their time pulling pranks on people and play together. Those, however, weren't the focus of their activity; Trunks and Goten were fully aware about the possible repercussions of their actions, so they needed to somehow rectify the situation. And how would they do that?

They would snatch Gohan from Vegeta's tutelage, claim him as their pupil, and help him reach his full potential. Of course they would make further changes to the timeline with their continued existence over here, but after careful consideration this was the best course of action to take. Besides, they couldn't go anywhere with the time machine still in repair, so aside from pranks and games, why not do something useful in the intervening time?

Yes, when they saw Gohan transform into a Super Saiyan for the first time, they knew he had stepped bravely into uncharted territories and unexplored waters. The fact had been established in this timeline that Gohan would one day become the protector of earth, even stronger than his father, and for that to hold true Trunks and Goten needed to train the tyke. At least, should the earth be threatened in the future, the warriors wouldn't be left in total helplessness.

"But what about Cell, Trunks? And Majin Buu?" Goten whispered, "I hope Gohan can handle them…"

"Don't worry. Cell's not gonna show up since there's no need for the other me to come here," Trunks shrugged nonchalantly.

Goten tilted his head to the left in confusion and a furrow formed between his eyebrows. "How come?"

"Remember what Gohan said about why the other me came to our timeline?"

"Hmm… to cure my dad. He caught the heart disease when in outer space."

"Exactly, except over here, he doesn't! You see? Causality, Goten," Trunks elaborated, "Without a cause, there will be no effect. You get it?"

"No."

"Good. I know you don't, so look. In our case, Cell leveraged on the fact that someone travelled back in time to cure your dad. But here, your dad is healthy, so no one's gonna return and Cell won't be here simply because he can't. Plus, there won't be any means to do that since the only time machine over here is ours, and we're gonna use it to get back home."

"Um, wait. I don't… gee, you've lost me—"

"A is the cause of B, and B is the cause of C. Here, A doesn't happen, so B and C won't take place!" the child prodigy continued with his explanation, not paying attention to his confused friend whatsoever, "And Majin Buu? By the time he arrives, there will be two other strong fighters to help Gohan. They can win!"

"Huh? Who are you talking about?"

"You dummy. Of course I'm talking—"

"Alright, you guys. Get ready for landing! Touchdown in four seconds!"

Before Trunks could finish, Bulma made a rather shocking announcement. Four seconds was barely enough time to snap out of their reaction! Holding onto whatever fixture they could wrap their arms around, the passengers braced themselves for one heck of a landing and sure enough, exactly at the fourth second, there was a really rough impact which was successful in knocking them off their balance and onto the floor. Although it was far from comfortable, the impact indicated they had landed on solid ground, which was obviously a good thing.

"…about us…" Trunks finished his sentence.

"Yeowch… that's it. I don't wanna travel by air ever again! Nuh-uh!" Goten complained while returning to his feet. His friend concurred.

Despite that, they were more than jubilant that they were able to make it back to earth safe and sound. Pressed by Gohan who was raring to again set foot on the land he missed so much, Bulma disengaged the lock; the door opened before them and the travellers were presented a familiar view. Blue sky, green grass, yellow dome-shaped building… yes, they had landed on Capsule Corp's backyard, the very place from which the same spaceship had taken off nearly two weeks ago.

Home sweet home.

"We're home…" said Gohan. Almost not believing what he saw, his eyes dilated and glittered in glee. "Krillin, we're finally home! Wow, this is awesome! Goten, Trunks, look! We're on earth!"

The excitement evident in his voice was unmistakable. Gohan quickly seized his brother and pulled him outside, intent on showing how the earth looked like in his timeline. True, due to crash-landing inside the spaceship when they first arrived here, Trunks and Goten hadn't had the chance to see how different Capsule Corp was in the past.

Goten once said Capsule Corp seventeen years ago was dull, and it turned out he was wrong. When Trunks stepped out of the spaceship, he felt just like home; to his right was the R&D module, to his left was the scientific lab cluster, and right in front was the main building which of course housed the living quarters of the Briefs. Aside from the size of the R&D module and labs which was noticeably smaller in this timeline, nothing was different, and the whole compound was as huge as ever.

"People say there's no place like home," Bulma tapped Trunks's shoulder, yanking him back to reality, "So here you are. Home. Well, it may not be your true home, but it's still Capsule Corp."

Trunks smiled at his mother's hospitality. To be honest, though, he was a bit suspicious; first of all, she didn't mind him calling her 'mom'. Then he remembered although during the past four days she wouldn't even say a word to any one of them in the ship, she just got all bubbly, infinitely more talkative, and perpetually happy all of a sudden. Lastly, he couldn't simply brush aside the truth that she shared a room with Vegeta last night. Were those facts related to each other in causality?

He found himself restraining his giggles when mushy thoughts bombarded him. The last thing he wanted was for his mother to find out what was brewing in his mind—but no, don't get him wrong. He was only thirteen years old and it was out of pure innocence!—but concealing it proved very difficult. The sight of Goten only made it worse; when their eyes met, images of the mischievous middle halfling doing that 'ooohh' thing manifested in his mind, and it just accentuated his urge to give in to the pain and just laugh his head off.

Luckily for him, Bulma took the initiative to start a conversation, sparing him from embarrassment of unholy proportions. "Let's not waste time. Can I see your time machine… or whatever it is?"

Now completely composed, Trunks reached to his pocket and took out a box of twelve capsules. He decapsulised a blue one with the number nine, revealing a rather mangled contraption of some sort. Trunks flinched at the sight, but his mother seemed to act quite the opposite; this technology hadn't been developed yet in Age 762, and she was more than happy to take it into her lab and tinker with it.

"This is unlike anything I've ever seen before…" the engineer-scientist mumbled in awe.

"What do you think, mom?" asked Trunks, "Actually this is not the original time machine. Mom… I mean, the one over there, built this based on a prototype from yet another timeline."

"Hmm… interesting…"

Bulma continued to observe the machine, its visible components, circuitry, and everything else she could possibly examine, even the extent of the damage. However, it was far too early to come up with a conclusion, much less a feasible solution. "Do you mind if I borrow the machine for a few days? If I find something I'll be sure to tell you."

Trunks complied and trusted everything to his mother. "Okay," he replied.

"Good, now it's settled. Now can you please get Gohan and Goten here?" Bulma requested, "I need to tell everyone something important."

The son nodded and proceeded to fetch the brothers who were busy playing tag on the spacious turf. When they returned to the spaceship pad, Krillin and Vegeta were already around; it was understandable how the lady managed to get Krillin to listen to her, but Vegeta? Wow. Either she had a very cunning mouth or something was up. But they knew it was not the time for such crazy thoughts, so they too flocked around Bulma to understand what the announcement was about.

"Okay, so," she began when everyone was present, "We have two visitors from the future and another one not from earth. That means we're gonna need some adjustment on accommodation. However, I don't think this concerns Krillin, so you can actually go back home now," she turned to said man and handed him a capsule, "You can take my aircar to return to Kame House."

And that was exactly what he did; with a "thanks", he decapsulised the car and quickly blasted off into the distance. The mother continued, "Now that leaves us with you three! Let's see, what can we do with you kids? You can stay here if you want to."

Hearing this, Gohan butted in. "No! Goten's staying at my house. Right, big brother?"

Bulma didn't think this was a good idea since they were bound to explain a lot of things to Goku and Chichi, but the little boy insisted otherwise and his brother didn't seem to mind. Knowing how close Gohan was to Goten and also stubborn he could be, she was left with no other choice and granted his wish, which exhilarated him and made him jump in joy.

"That kid's always so stubborn," she smiled, then turned to her son, "So I guess that leaves you and Vegeta. Well, seeing there's nowhere else you can go, you both are gonna stay here. We have three guest rooms, so just choose the one you like best."

It should've come to no surprise to him, but Trunks couldn't help giving a shocked look upon knowing that Vegeta would be staying at Capsule Corp. This would be a very, very crucial period of time, and since he still wanted himself to exist over here, he should probably stay away from them for the time being, let the pages turn as they should, and not influence the decisions Bulma and Vegeta were about to make. To do that, he needed to come up with an excuse, and fast.

"What is it, Trunks?" asked Goten. He noticed the uneasy expression daubed across his friend's face.

"Uh… mom? I guess I'd rather stay with Goten and Gohan," said Trunks. Of course, his statement raised Bulma's interest and she questioned him why, so he had to spew his excuse. "I, uh, we agreed to train Gohan. Yeah, that's it! You've seen his power, right? He can be stronger if he trains well! Yeah, uh… heh-heh…"

Not believing him one bit, Vegeta snorted. He knew Trunks had a hidden intention behind his decision and that little excuse of his was just pathetic, so he shot his son a piercing gaze which made him feel even more awkward and sweat more than usual.

Not noticing—or perhaps ignoring?—Trunks's uneasiness, Bulma shrugged. "I don't see a problem with that. I'll call Chichi and explain the situation. Are you okay with Trunks staying there too, Gohan?"

"Of course not! Wow, this is gonna be fun!" exclaimed Gohan. First his brother got to stay with him, and now they were joined by his friend? Of course he couldn't get any happier than this. "C'mon, Goten, Trunks! Let's get your bags and go to my house!"

Seeing Gohan yet again latch onto Goten's neck, Bulma could only watch and smile. Although she had only known the kid for one year—she first met him when Goku took him to Kame House—she was well aware of the pain and hardship he had endured, and how he had grown from a helpless little baby into an almost self-sufficient boy, thanks to Piccolo's training. Knowing he deserved the bond he had formed with Goten and Trunks as a compensation for his courage and steadfastness, she silently thanked the time travellers.

"Okay, we're off," said Trunks as he prepared to leave with his friends.

"Take care, honey," replied Bulma. Her use of the word 'honey' again surprised Trunks. "I'll call Gohan if I find anything interesting about your machine."

"Sure. Bye, mom!"

With that, the trio of hybrids blasted off into the distance toward the direction of Mount Paozu, leaving the green-haired lady standing alone on the pavement. She then took a look on Trunks and Goten's time machine, examined it one final time, and decapsulised it. Tomorrow she would be starting her work on the technological marvel, and boy, was she excited. With happy, light-hearted steps she strolled inside the house to unwind and perhaps take a nice, long bath.

And that was when her eyes met Vegeta's. She had almost forgotten of his presence.

"Well?" the prince growled.

"Well what? Get your lazy back moving inside," Bulma retorted, but with a somewhat playful tone and expression. What was churning in her mind was for her to know and for everyone to find out. "Or do I need to roll the red carpet for you and hold your hand?"

"What? Why, you… fine!"

Her behaviour clearly irritated Vegeta to no end, but for some reason he couldn't bring himself to do any harm to her. Perhaps because she was too helpless to even defend herself? Or because she was not worth the effort? Or… because of some other reason he was still stranger to? Whatever it was, he wasn't going to spend all his precious energy and time thinking about it. All he needed was lodging, and Bulma had been kind enough to provide him a place to stay. That was all that mattered right now…

… although he still couldn't make sense of the woman's attitude and behaviour toward him.

"Earthling woman. Indeed an enigma."

* * *

><p>The flight to Mount Paozu was filled with joy and laughter, and it clearly was just the nutshell.<p>

As usual, Gohan sat on Goten's back throughout the journey while Trunks flew right beside him. As they shot through the sky, they suddenly felt very nostalgic. The yellow-orange-red tinge on the western horizon. The cold evening air. The scene of a busy city down below which abruptly shifted into a majestic forest beyond its borders. Everything was as normal as it could be, and how glad the three was—especially Gohan—to be back on earth after so long.

They were so engrossed in their conversation and laughter they overshot the familiar white capsule house on a highland, so they backtracked and touched down on the turf which was actually the front yard. Yes, despite the isolation, living far in the mountains had its own perks, and a huge land area was one of them. Let's not mention the perpetually fresh, clean air, the unending calming sounds of running water, wind, and crickets, and the unbelievably clear night sky dotted with countless stars—every astronomer's dream.

One big surprise, however, was the being so far back in time, the family still didn't have a dedicated bathroom—it was only added when they renovate the house when Goten was eight—so they had no choice but to use the wooden bathtub at the side of the house. Yes, an outdoor bath. Trunks and Goten sweatdropped in dread and let out a nervous chuckle at the sight of it, but there really was no any other alternative, now was it? Oh well, at least they wouldn't die.

"We're here!" exclaimed Gohan, "Are you ready, Goten, Trunks? I'm gonna introduce you to mom and dad."

"Mm-hmm, I'm ready" said Goten. To be honest, however, he found the idea of being introduced to his parents extremely strange to say the very least.

With that, Gohan entered the house to greet Goku and Chichi. Trunks and Goten, who were left outside, could hear excited shrieks—of course it came from the somewhat overprotective mother. Don't get her wrong, she meant well—and sobs of happiness from inside. Of course, who wouldn't? She caught wind of her son's death while he was away, and now said boy was right in front of her, alive and kicking.

"Hee-hee. She's always like that," Goten smiled.

As usual, Trunks was quick to come up with a comeback. "Tell me about it. No wonder you're such a baby."

"Hey! What do you mean?" the middle hybrid puffed his cheeks, "Your mom did the same thing to you when we were wished back after Majin Buu destroyed the earth!"

"That's beside the point, and you just proved my statement. I guess you look mature in front of Gohan only."

"Excuse me?"

Before Goten could lunge at Trunks, the youngest returned outside along with Goku and Chichi. Knowing his mother's view on fighting in or within twenty metres from the house, he quickly assumed a relaxed pose and beamed his most innocent smile. The speed at which he did that was astounding, and the lilac-haired preteen was left amazed.

Goku, upon seeing them, examined the boys. Although Goten was now sporting a wild-cut hair, the full-grown Saiyan was quick to notice the similarities between them as well as between him and Gohan. So his son was telling the truth after all… he acknowledged he was a bit dense and didn't really understand the concept of time travel, but there was no mistaking it: this boy he referred to as Goten was his other son, albeit from a different world. He didn't freak out, he didn't ask anything, and he just stood there, pretty much contrary to his reaction when the Trunks from the future revealed his origins to him in Trunks and Goten's timeline.

Goten noticed that his father had been studying him and began to feel bad. During their battle with Frieza, King Kai mentioned something about how Goku would like to have a word with them for not letting them come to their aid and that he was upset about Gohan's death, and to be honest, he wasn't ready for that. How would he start? What would he say?

Fortunately for him, before they could exchange a single letter, Chichi initiated a conversation, and her voice seemed jovial and completely devoid of tension, although one could still notice tears welling on her eyes—perhaps due to her reunion with Gohan. "I've heard about you from Gohan. Trunks, Bulma and Vegeta's son. Wow, if I'm not in a good mood I'd probably freak out."

"Yeah, I think that's how mom… uh, I mean the one over here, reacted when she found out," remembering the time the news was broken to his mother, Trunks just shrugged. He then said inwardly, 'But now they're having the whole house for themselves. Go figure.'

"Yamcha would be really, really sad. Anyway, you… must be Goten, right?" she focused her eyes on Goten and smiled, "Our future son… I think if you grow your hair a little longer, I think you can look just like Goku."

The hybrids exchanged a knowing look. Oh, she didn't know Goten had been an exact replica of Goku prior to their arrival on Namek. She pressed on, "It's a pleasure to have you here. After all, you helped our baby and fought for him… we're indebted to you, Trunks, Goten. Please," she spread her arms wide open as though reassuring them they were welcome, "If you need anything, just ask. We may not be as self-sufficient as Bulma's, but we'd be happy to try our best to help. And make yourselves at home… after all, this is your home, Goten."

"Awesome! Can Goten and Trunks stay in my room, mom? Please?" asked Gohan in excitement.

Chichi gave it a little thought about it and seeing there was no other alternative—since unlike Capsule Corp, they had no guest room—she agreed, but he needed to set up extra mattresses by himself. The youngest quickly complied; driven by the thought of having exhilarating times with his brother and friend, he darted toward the store, took two large mattresses with him, and arranged them in the room, all in record time.

Seeing his enthusiasm the mother couldn't help but crack a smile again. "Well, I guess the room's ready. Why don't you put all your stuff inside and help Gohan with his studies for a while? I'll be preparing a big dinner for all of us."

Hearing the word 'studies', Trunks and Goten produced a strange, nervous look. Seriously? He just got back home from a perilous journey far away from home, Chichi wouldn't let him rest and play for a while? They felt bad for Gohan; they didn't want to interfere with study, but at the same time they didn't want him to keep hitting the books. Nothing could be done right now, though, so they would do as she said and help the poor kid with his studies… but one of these days, they would also 'help' Gohan understand about things in life he couldn't find in books and encyclopaedias.

With that, Chichi went into the depths of the house to get herself busy with the preparation of one heck of a banquet. The boys entered the house and strolled toward a room by whose door Gohan was standing, waiting for them…

"Wait, Goten, Trunks."

… but they were stopped by Goku.

Was this it? Was Goku about to confront them about the rationale behind their actions during the fight with Frieza? But of all times, why now? Why not choose a time when everything had wound down a bit and they weren't physically exhausted? Trunks and Goten weren't ready for this, even now, but there was no running away from this one. Bracing themselves for a chain of sentences laden with disappointment, they turned around.

"I want to thank you for fighting for all of us, and for Gohan," the father said, "You're brave young boys, and we're all proud of you. I'm hoping Gohan can grow to be like you."

Did they hear it right? Instead of disappointed, he was actually proud of them. His words took a while to register in the bewildered hybrids' mind, but when they finally did, they let out a sigh of relief. Goku also asked them to share the story of their adventure over the dinner, and he even went as far as offering them to train Gohan during their stay—without Chichi's knowledge, of course. Trunks and Goten very gladly accepted the offer; that was why they were here to begin with.

Gohan too heard this, and he grew even more thrilled at the prospect of being mentored by his brother and friend. With their help, he could hone his skills in fighting and energy control, learn some of Goten's and Trunks's attacks, and—as the icing on the cake—master the Super Saiyan transformation. And that was not all! He had another agenda, and it was to meet that cool fusion guy, Gotenks, and probably he would teach him how to do that ghost attack and Victory Kamehameha moves.

Yes, with Trunks and Goten around and the Sons treating them as a part of their own family, Mount Paozu was bound to be livelier.


	20. Consideration

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Happy reading!_

* * *

><p>"Wow, Gohan! Now that's a Kamehameha wave! Super fast!"<p>

"Really? This is because of your training."

"But I'm sure my attack is stronger."

"You're gonna regret saying that, Trunks."

"Wanna see the proof? C'mon, Gohan. Show him how much more high-octane it is!"

"Here I go! Get ready, Goten!"

Training.

That was what Trunks, Goten, and Gohan did every single day from late afternoon until the evening, and they were savouring every moment of it. Goku, of course, was more than happy to see his son improve by the day, and Chichi—unlike her other self over there—had no problem with it. She had no reason to be angry, though, since the time travellers always helped Gohan with his studies. They always made an argument stressing the importance of training to balance the mind and body, which was of course the truth.

And they were so called hired as Gohan's mentor not only for some days or some weeks, but for six whole months. That was how long Bulma needed to restore their time machine to its original condition due to it being a very advanced piece of technology at the time; it was a long period of waiting, they had to concur, but they could train Gohan even more intensively. Besides, they could always return to that particular point of time when they had made their trip over here. During this interval, they would just enjoy whatever they could enjoy and do whatever they could do.

Their efforts turned out to bear much fruit. In just a month and a half, Gohan's power level had increased dramatically and he was now able to use most of his mentors' attacks, even the more dangerous ones such as the blade beam they had cut off Frieza's tail with. At this rate, perhaps Trunks and Goten would need to enlist Gotenks's help sooner than they had expected.

Alright, let's return to the here and now.

Gohan extended his arms to the side and spheres of energy started to form on his palms. Instead of yellow, his version was blue; perhaps it was due to the fact that he wasn't in transformed state. Then, just like Trunks, he clasped his hands and pointed his index fingers at Goten, and that was when a wave was released.

"Wah! That's a huge one, alright," said Goten. However, he didn't even need to Afterimage away to dodge it; he just stepped aside and pushed the blast away from its trajectory and into the sky with his Kamehameha to prevent it from destroying the landscape.

It seemed his actions elicited a delighted response from Gohan. "You're fast, Goten!"

"Uh, not really…" he shrugged and grinned at Trunks, "You see, it's not that I'm fast. Trunks's attack may pack more firepower than mine, but it's just too slow!"

Goten's remarks didn't miss Trunks's ears, and the eldest quickly retorted. "Oh, so you wanna see fast? Then take this!"

With that, Trunks fired a quick salvo of energy blasts. He managed to catch Goten, who was hovering in mid-air, off guard; the first blast connected and the boy staggered backward. Before he could recover, Gohan dashed right behind him and delivered a swift kick to his back, sending him tumbling onto the ground. Goten broke the fall with a burst of energy and was just in time to step back to dodge Trunks's straight.

"Not fair! You're ganging up on me!" Goten protested.

"Heh, you let your guard down, didntcha? That's the price you gotta pay," said Trunks smugly, "Alright, Gohan. Let's—"

"Boys! Dinner's in fifteen minutes!"

Before Trunks and Gohan could launch their combined attack, they were interrupted by Chichi whose voice could be heard from some fifty metres away. Being half-Saiyans, food took priority over anything in their list, so they promptly ended their fight and, called it a day, and returned to the house. While waiting for the dinner to be ready, they took turns in taking a bath to wash themselves clean; by the time they were finished, Chichi had just put the final dish on the table. It being crammed with food aplenty was a beautiful sight to behold, and Goku was already waiting there.

"Meaty stuff to compensate for lost energy, and soups to keep you warm and hydrated," said Chichi, "But I guess you Saiyans are gourmands and not picky eaters. So take a seat and dig in!"

At the cue, three out of the four Saiyans in the dining room immediately did as said and made a pig out of themselves. Normally, Chichi wouldn't encourage them to eat like this, but ever since Trunks and Goten's arrival she had been more lenient and not as strict as previously, save matters pertaining to Gohan's studies. Besides, watching Goku, Trunks, and Goten fight with their chopsticks for a plate of meat was entertaining, and it was made more so when their funny faces were taken into account.

"So, Gohan," Goku called out. Chichi noticed he was talking with his mouth full, so she shot him her death glare which he acknowledged by making an apologetic gesture and swallowing whatever it was he had inside his oral cavity before continuing. "What did you learn today? I felt your power level rising pretty high!"

"Yeah, dad! Trunks taught me his attack. It's called Victory Cannon and it's very strong!" replied the young kid enthusiastically between his spoonfuls of food.

"That's great! Do you feel tired after that?"

"Not at all!"

Goten playfully ruffled his brother's hair. "I guess that means you've learned to control your stamina. You're awesome, Gohan!"

"No, you're still more awesome than me. You're the greatest!" said Gohan, but he continued, "Although you can be clueless sometimes when helping me with chemistry."

"Hey! I know when aldehyde is oxidised, it becomes alcohol, okay?" the 'older' brother pouted, confident of his knowledge.

Poor Goten. The reactions he got from the others were contrary to his expectation. Trunks snorted, Chichi sighed, Gohan stopped eating before beginning to laugh, while Goku—clueless as ever—could feel his brain start to overheat. Seeing them, Goten's pout became more apparent, so before he could even say a word Trunks gladly pointed out his blunder. "Dummy. It's the other way around. And it only works with primary alcohols!"

"Huh? Really?" he turned to Gohan. When the child nodded with a giggle, Goten's face became as red as a tomato and in embarrassment he smiled sheepishly. "Oops. I guess Gohan doesn't need me to tutor him after all…"

Hearing him, Gohan stood up from his seat. "What are you saying, Goten? I don't care if you know more or less than me," he said, "If you can't help me, Trunks can. I just want you to be with me when I'm studying, because you motivate me!" Gohan then hovered to behind Goten and did his signature act of affection toward him: latching happily onto his neck, although he almost choked him in the process. "Besides, you've taught me a lot of fun stuff! I love your pranks! Hee-hee."

"R-really, Gohan?" asked Goten, his eyes wide. To be honest, Gohan's statement came as a surprise for him—a pleasant one. Never had it come to mind before that he was such a motivation for him.

"Mm-hmm. So don't worry, okay, big brother?"

The brothers' little exchange filled everyone's heart with warmth. Looking back, it should've come as a surprise even to Trunks, because their first meeting had been rather unfortunate and even almost confrontational. In just a short period of time, however, Gohan seemed to have warmed up and gotten very close to Goten—much like how they had been in the future before the older Gohan moved out—and that's not mentioning the fact that he first transformed into a Super Saiyan after seeing his brother being badly injured by Frieza. It seemed as though those two had met somewhere or sometime previously, got separated, and was finally reunited.

Goku couldn't help smiling seeing his sons being so close together. "You and Gohan back in your time must be very good brothers," he said.

It turned out to be an ugly card to play.

Even though the others were smiling and happy as ever, Goten became rather uncomfortable with his father's statement. Trunks's expression became slightly crestfallen as well since he knew how his best felt whenever their Gohan was mentioned. Then, surprising everyone, Goten gently put Gohan down, apologised to him, and politely and sadly asked to be excused before entering the bedroom and without saying a word, leaving all three Sons very confused.

Goku knew something must've gone wrong since he'd never seen Goten that dejected during his stay. Besides, the food was far from finished, and as Chichi had said before, Saiyans were gourmands and wouldn't think twice about devouring comestibles presented to them. Seeing Trunks was exhibiting a similar reaction—albeit more downscaled—he asked if he had said something wrong.

Trunks sighed and somewhat despondently explained the reason behind the sudden shift in Goten's cheerful demeanour. Learning about this, Goku suddenly felt very bad, but before he could do a thing he saw Gohan was already strolling toward his room, intent on having a word with his brother.

"Wait, Gohan," Chichi called, "Give Goten a little time to cool down."

"But I don't wanna see him like that. I have to talk to him," replied the tyke.

Chichi wanted to stop Gohan from doing so, but knowing it was no use and with Goku holding her hand and telling her to just let him go, she was in a way forced to gave a nod, earning her a "thanks" from the him. Having no other choice, she decided to wait and proceeded to finish her meal together with her husband and foster son. The jolly mood, however, was now absent; with nobody fighting over a plate of meat and no exchange whatsoever between the three, they could only hope this uncomfortable situation was not going to last longer than one night.

And now it was all up to Gohan to ensure that.

* * *

><p>"Goten, can I come in?" asked Gohan while peeking inside the room.<p>

Goten was sitting at the desk, facing away from the door. He acknowledged his brother's request for permission, however, and granted him entrance. "Why not? This is your room. C'mere, Gohan."

Gohan did as said and very slowly made his way toward Goten. To be honest, although he came up with the initiative to talk to him, he didn't know where to start since he never had this kind of a problem before and, as such, didn't know how to handle it. However, he always felt comfortable in Goten's company; believing the opposite must be true, he sat on the bed by the desk.

For a minute and a half, Goten kept sitting with his arms crossed on the desk, his chin resting on them. Gohan was now lying down on the bed, sometimes stealing a glance or two at Goten. After yet another minute of wordless silence, the mop-top decided he had to say something to help his brother return to his happy self…

"Gohan?"

… but Goten preceded him.

"Hmm?"

"I miss you."

At Goten's words, Gohan feigned confusion. He knew what he was talking about, but in truth he was deeply concerned. He sat up, his attention was now fully on Goten. "Huh? But I'm here. I'm always with you."

"Gohan, I'm sorry, I… didn't mean to just go away like that," said the spiky-haired halfling. He then got up from the chair and seated himself on the bed just beside Gohan. "It's just… when someone mentions the Gohan over there, I dunno what to think…"

Seeing this as an opportunity to repay what Goten had done for him, Gohan attempted to console him. Perhaps it would make it easier for him to just let out of his feelings. "What's in your mind, big brother? If you want, you can share with me."

"But I don't wanna trouble you, Gohan…"

"Aw, c'mon. I've troubled you more than you've ever done. Maybe I can help."

Gohan's willingness to be Goten's confidant was a godsend, so he spilled everything out of his mind. It seemed he had actually kept quite a number of thoughts to himself, since the words just flowed out of his mouth very smoothly and fluently. He revealed everything: about how close he had been with his Gohan, how he had taught him everything from martial arts to academic matters, and how he felt like he had been drifting away from Gohan ever since he moved out. Although Gohan already knew about those problems from Trunks, he didn't mind hearing it again if it could help ease his burden a bit.

After he had settled down, Gohan waited for a while before starting to talk. When the sadness in the air had dispersed, he stated his opinion that Goten might have been feeling like that because he and his brother over there were quite far apart in age—eleven years, to be exact. He further elaborated that perhaps when his Gohan was ready to take the next step in life, Goten might still see him as a brother who would always be there for him, which might explain the insecure feelings he had been experiencing.

Goten first expressed genuine surprise at Gohan's very critical and logical way of thinking, but he quickly understood why. There was no brushing aside the fact that the little boy had had more exposure than him to everything related to loss, something no children should ever go through. Everything that had happened to him turned out to be a blessing in disguise, though; all those harsh and crazy experiences helped him to grow into an almost abnormally strong—physically, mentally, and emotionally—kid for his age.

But Gohan was quick to follow up. "You know, I like it so much when you're here," he said, "When you and Trunks came, I was very happy. I've always wanted to have a friend, and actually, a brother, too… that's why when you told me on the way to Frieza's ship that you're my brother, I felt very excited. It seems like my wish was granted, you know?"

His revelation seemed to ease and soften Goten, so he continued, "Yeah, I know you gotta return to your time after the machine is done, but when you're here, I wanna spend as much time with you as possible. I don't mind if you see me as a little version of your Gohan, because you're his brother…" he said as he hugged Goten, "… and mine, too."

That was all Gohan needed to completely console his brother who promptly returned the hug with a nice, big one. Never before in his life had Goten thought he would seek solace in someone younger than him, but after all this kid was Gohan, whose alternate self had always been the one he turned to whenever he had problems or faced difficult situations. No wonder he was able to bring back warmth and confidence to his heart.

"Thanks, little brother," he said very gratefully and with a small but sincere smile, "And I won't treat you as my Gohan. I'm seeing you as you are."

Gohan was happy his brother finally assumed his good old self, but being hugged that tightly, he soon found himself short of breath. "Ow… big brother, lemme go… I can't breathe… heh-heh."

With a "sorry", Goten loosened his grip to let Gohan break free. Then, to ensure him that everything was fine and he was feeling much better now, he proposed that they continue and finish their dinner; some time of course had elapsed during this little heart-to-heart talk, but they knew Chichi wouldn't be so mean as to let Trunks and Goku finish all the food or throw away the leftovers. That was no way to deal with a perpetually hungry family member, and besides, with at least two of them in the household, that very word and concept—leftovers—had been a stranger since days long gone.

When Goten stood up, Gohan wasted no time in climbing onto his back. They returned to the dining room this way, and when the others saw them, they knew the situation had returned to normal. And the brothers were right; although the table had been cleaned up, Chichi had saved some food for them which she reheated and served again. Goten and Gohan quickly sat across each other at the table and dug in like there was no tomorrow.

Seeing this, Chichi couldn't help sighing in relief and smiling contentedly. With those two as jolly as ever, there was nothing to worry about besides perhaps the mayhem they—and Trunks—would surely cause tomorrow.

* * *

><p>Night.<p>

According to many, it was the most peaceful time of the day, and for two certain people it was certainly not a lie.

These two people sat beside each other on the front porch. The starry sky was their roof, and the calming sounds of crickets and running river were music to their ears. Holding a cup of hot tea on her hand, Chichi rested her head on Goku's arm, while the latter wrapping his hand around the former's shoulder. Their son and foster children had preceded them into the la-la land since it was around two in the morning, and it could be said they were the only humans—or the only human and Saiyan—still awake within a kilometre radius from the Son house.

Usually they would do this when they had just made up after a quarrel, but it wasn't the case this time. They did this out of a need for discussion which they didn't want Gohan to know, and with two extra pairs of ears running around, there really was no better time than in the middle of the night.

"What do you think, Chi?" Goku broke the comfortable silence between them with his question.

"Well…" Chichi pondered for a while, "You heard Gohan, right? I think he deserves it."

"Are you okay with it? I mean, I don't want you to be burdened just because you wanna fulfil Gohan's desire," the Saiyan asked again, this time with a hint of concern in his voice.

"Oh, hush, Goku. You know it's our duty as parents to make sure Gohan gets the best for him."

"Yeah, I know…"

"And it's a very sweet little desire, don't you think? He's ready, Goku. I mean, look at him," Chichi paused before continuing, "Do you know how much he's changed since Goten and Trunks came here?"

Goku rubbed the back of his head and smiled sheepishly. "Uh… no?"

"That's because you're always training with Vegeta and won't come back until just before dinner, silly. I swear, sometimes you gotta spend time with Gohan and train with him and Goten and Trunks."

"Uh, sorry… I'll try…"

Chichi sighed. "You will. You Saiyans are just in love with battles, aren't you?" she said, "Anyway… since they came here, especially Goten, Gohan has been more cheerful than before. You can't possibly miss how close he is to Goten. And you heard Goten too, right?"

"Poor Goten," said Goku, "He and his Gohan back in his time are very far apart in age…"

"That's right. But you saw him here. He's very, very protective toward Gohan, and Gohan seems to enjoy his company a lot. They're inseparable, Goku."

"Yeah. They're brothers, after all. And I guess when Goten and Trunks return home, Gohan must be missing them very much, because I know I will, too."

"Same with me. I don't wanna see him sad over losing them… he's our son."

Silence followed, and the crickets sang their song even louder for the whole world to hear. Chichi took a sip from her cup; it was peppermint-flavoured tea, which according to various anecdotal sources had the most relaxing aroma among its peers. After finishing her hot beverage, she again leaned her head on Goku's arm and it was now her turn to took the initiative and broke the silence.

"Gohan's been alone and lonely for far too long now," she said, "I believe if it's really what he wants, then he deserves it. He's ready… and so am I. You're with me?"

For once, Goku found himself thinking carefully about the decision he was about to make. After a period of silent contemplation, he finally reached a solid resolution; with as much courage as he could muster, he said bravely, "Alright. I guess you're right. Gohan needs a friend, and perhaps someone more than just a friend… someone really close. Now Goten and Trunks are here to fill that role, but when they return… I'd like to see him having someone to care about just like Goten had cared about him," he thought again before finally giving his final resolve, "Yeah, Chi. I'm ready, too. It's about time we welcomed a new life to our little family."

Hearing him, a sincere smile graced Chichi's face. The hammer had fallen, and there was no turning back; it was a decision of more than epic proportions behind which was hidden a huge amount of responsibility. However, with Goku's support and willingness, she knew everything was going to be just fine, and as long as Gohan was happy, nothing else would matter one bit. They would survive.

Wrapping her hands around Goku's torso, she said tenderly, "I love you, Goku."

"I love you too, Chi."


	21. One Day: Brief

_Pre-note: The events in this chapter and chapter 22 are concurrent and independent of each other, so you can choose which one to read first._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Happy reading!_

* * *

><p>Six months had finally elapsed since Trunks's arrival on earth.<p>

The time machine had been restored to its perfect condition and, for all intents and purposes, was now ready for use. However, Bulma decided to let the time travellers spend yet another day on the past earth. She was well aware of the fact that for the good of both worlds, it would be best for them not to return here ever again, so why not give them one final day to do and enjoy whatever they could?

Thankful of her generosity, Trunks decided to spend the whole day at Capsule Corp.

At five-thirty in the morning, when the others were still deep in slumber, Trunks told his best friend to relay his thanks to the family for the lodging. His bookbag secure on his back, he was ready to depart for his house and use the day to spar with his proud father. It was true that because of having to train Gohan, he had almost completely lost contact with Bulma and Vegeta for the last six months, and since the tyke's training had concluded, why not pay them a visit? Besides, he would really like to see how much his father had progressed and whether he had discovered the secret to becoming a Super Saiyan.

"Okay, I'm off. Enjoy your day with Gohan."

"Mm-hmm. Fly safe and have a nice day, Trunks."

"Gotcha. You too."

With that, Trunks blasted off into the sky toward West City. It had been quite some time since his last dawn flight; he had forgotten how pleasurable it was to enjoy the aerial view of the earth just before sunrise. It was infinitely more beautiful than your usual, casual flight, probably owing to the fact that the sun, still beneath the yonder eastern horizon, gave rise to a brilliant display of red, orange, and blue hues in the sky. And let's not mention the pleasant coolness he felt as he shot through the morning air, as well as the dawn chorus sung by songbirds for the world to hear.

Trunks really took his own sweet time in his flight. He got so immersed in the beauty of the sight it took him almost an hour to reach East City just beyond the fringes of Mount Paozu forest. He had made an appointment with his father to start sparring at exactly seven, and it seemed this particular Saiyan didn't really like to be kept waiting. With just half an hour to go, Trunks ascended and quickly shot through the morning sky toward West City.

He barely made it to Capsule Corp. When he arrived, it was already two to seven, and his father was already waiting by the spaceship. Trunks knew what Vegeta was going to do: use the spaceship as their ring, very much like back in his timeline. Bulma was nowhere to be seen, but perhaps that was because she was busy preparing breakfast. It didn't matter now, though; he could meet his mother later during the break. Now, he needed to amuse this particularly grumpy Saiyan with his fighting skill extraordinaire.

"Hi, dad. How's it going?" Trunks greeted his father casually.

Vegeta acknowledged him with a somewhat rude-sounding grunt. "Enough talk, you're almost late. Ready yourself and get inside!"

"Okay, I guess. Hold on a minute, I gotta get changed."

"Hurry up! I haven't got all day, you know?"

"Sheesh, okay, okay! Calm down, will you?"

And so Trunks quickly changed into a more comfortable outfit for sparring. He followed Vegeta into the spaceship, shut the airlock door, and watched as he gradually adjusted the gravity to fifty times normal. The lilac head was forced to his knees since the last time he trained in increased gravity had been a long, long time ago, but he quickly adjusted himself to the environment and got back to his feet, albeit with some difficulty.

"What's wrong?" Vegeta smirked, "If you're that weak, you won't even stand a single blow from me."

"You're gonna regret saying that, dad," replied Trunks with an even prouder smirk. Like father, like son.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Hit me with all you've got!"

"As you wish. Here goes!"

Without further ado, they lunged at each other. They didn't even do a warm-up session before the fight, but Vegeta had insisted there was no need of one. His belief was that one would stretch his muscles in battle anyway, which meant the actual fight already carried all the benefits they would get from warming up. It was a strange argument, alright, but somehow he never got muscle cramps or the likes whatsoever. It seemed Saiyan physiology was a bit different… go figure.

Fist met fist and foot met foot. Exchange of blows between the two rattled the arena, and seen from outside, one would surely think the ship would blast off into space any minute now. So far they had been equal in battle, both in strength and speed, but of course they weren't fighting in full power. Trunks was raring to gauge his father's strength and find out if he had been able to transform, while Vegeta kept telling his son to stop fooling around and fight with all his might.

Trunks was afraid Vegeta wouldn't have a chance against him if he turned Super, but there was no disobeying the very determined and arrogant prince. He complied, although somewhat reluctantly, and effortlessly ascended to the first Super Saiyan level, much to his father's simultaneous amusement and irritation. Seeing the reaction exhibited by Vegeta, Trunks knew there were two possibilities: one, he still couldn't control the efflux of energy very well, or two, he had yet to discover the secrets to transformation.

As the fight got more and more intense, it looked like the answer was the latter option, since even though Vegeta was clearly overwhelmed he still didn't transform. Trunks too was impeded by some kind of a handicap; he had to pretend he was fighting with full power while, in fact, he had been holding back all along. It was a no-win situation for both the purebred and the halfling… Vegeta wouldn't like being defeated by his own son, but knowing he was fighting someone who wasn't using his full power wasn't a better option and would surely be a nastier blow to his pride.

After weighing the pros and cons of the two options available to him, Trunks decided to just go all-out in his Super form and deal with his father quickly. He wasn't slated to win this fight anyway, but hey, at least it was going to be a good loss, not some disgraceful one. Imagine the humiliation one had to endure if he found out that his opponent, who was able to knock him out cold, was only fighting at fifty per cent of his full power. Now that was something to be ashamed off. With that in mind, Trunks blitzed Vegeta with a flurry of blows and energy waves—luckily Dr. Brief had fortified the interior of the ship to withstand all those crazy attacks—and, surprise, victory was his.

Although he emerged as the victor, the fact that his father was able to keep up with the speed and all the action when he was in his Super form greatly amused him. It seemed all those training sessions Vegeta had been having with Goku really paid off; Trunks had observed his movements and decisions, and he sure could tell his tactics and acumen had improved dramatically during this six-month period.

"Break's over. Shall we carry on?" asked Vegeta. However, the tone in which he said his sentence indicated that it was more of an order.

"You dunno when to quit, do you?" Trunks shrugged, "But if that's what you want, fine. C'mon!"

Of course, being the man he was, Vegeta was too proud to admit defeat. To him, every loss was another reason to improve, and had Trunks been one of the bad guys he would probably do anything to kill him on the spot for having defeated him. However, truth could sometimes be harsh, and it was certainly the case this time. No matter how hard he tried, he still couldn't bring Trunks to his knees, and he knew increasing the gravity wouldn't do him much good since he hadn't had the chance to train in more than fifty times.

Sparring was all they did throughout the morning, and by the time they had finished their third round, it was already lunch time. The result? Of course three-zero for the son. Trunks, now completely exhausted, suggested that they have something to eat first before continuing with further sessions so as to prevent fainting in the middle of the match. For once, Vegeta concurred; he adjusted the gravity to normal before disengaging the ship's airlock and exiting without saying a word. Whether he was angry or just being himself was for him to know and for others to find out.

Trunks followed suit. Perspiring heavily, he decided to take a shower before having lunch; nobody would like to eat with someone really sweaty and smelly like that. With his bookbag on his hand, he entered the yellow-shaped building and strolled through its convoluted—although familiar—hallways to find the bathroom.

"Hi, honey! How are you?"

A voice called from behind. Honey, it said… who else would it be if not his mother? As he turned around, he replied her greeting, "Hi, mom. I'm fi—wah!"

What Trunks saw with his own eyes was just unbelievable. Was his mind playing tricks on him, was it because of the angle he saw Bulma, or was he dreaming? He blinked a few times to check the validity of the first hypothesis, but no. He did a double take to verify the second hypothesis, but no. He slapped himself to see if the third hypothesis was correct, but no. He was seeing it right. It was real… as real as could be, and Trunks could feel his heart skip a beat.

Bulma was pregnant.

"Hee-hee. Surprised?" the green-haired lady smiled.

Trunks found it difficult to even form words in his mouth. He was too flabbergasted at the revelation. "M-m-mom… you-you're… wow! Is… is that—"

"It's a secret."

"Whoa… is it a boy? Or a girl?"

"Shh. Go wash yourself clean, and I'll tell you everything over the lunch, okay?"

He didn't need to be told again. Intent on finding out about that little child-to-be growing slowly but steadily inside the confines of his mother, he darted toward the bathroom, took a shower and finished in record time, put on his clothes, and scurried in gallops to the dining room. Being in a rush, he failed to notice his shirt was inside-out; he finally noticed it, so he took his shirt off and put it back on while still running, thanks to his undammed anticipation.

When Trunks entered the dining room, he was more than excited to see Bulma already sitting at the table. Vegeta wasn't there, but obviously he didn't expect him to be; he would rather eat out than sit with the family and eat together. Intent on squeezing the truth out of her, Trunks then seated himself across his mother and re-elaborated his chain of questions. The speed at which he spoke was astonishing; after his questions were all asked, he found himself panting and gasping for air.

Bulma just sighed sweetly, then patiently answered all Trunks's inquiries. She slowly and gently broke the news that indeed, Vegeta was the father. Wow! It shouldn't have come as a surprise to the hybrid boy, but it exhilarated him anyway. The mother then revealed the details about the baby: that it was her sixth month now, that it was healthy, and finally, which made Trunks jump for joy, that it was a boy.

"M-m-mom… that means…" he stuttered.

"Yup, honey," Bulma poked Trunks gently on his chest, "He's you."

Bulma's words proved more capable than fifty times gravity to bring him to his knees. A surge of joy coursed through his body from his brain all the way down to his toes as he suddenly became limp and suffered from wobbly knees out of sheer happiness. Seeing this, Bulma quickly came to his aid and helped him get back to his feet before he could melt into a Trunks puddle sticking stubbornly on the floor.

"Easy there," she said, "Here. Do you wanna try and talk to your little brother? Just say anything."

Trunks gently navigated his hand around Bulma's tummy before putting his ear on it, as though trying to listen whatever sounds the baby was making. He couldn't hear anything, though, but he was still happy. What he had feared wouldn't come true; he would exist—around three years sooner, even!

"What's… his name, mom? Have you thought about one?" he asked, a glimmer of hope present in his eyes.

Bulma smiled at her son for asking a redundant question. "Do you even have to ask, honey? Of course his name is Trunks Brief. Just like I said, he's you," she said while kissing Trunks on the forehead.

That just made Trunks produce an even larger grin that threatened to split his face in two. In a rare display of affection and emotion he normally refused to exhibit, he hugged his mother in pure, raw, unhindered joy and kissed her cheeks. It was so fortunate of him Goten wasn't around to see this; if he did see his actions, he knew that raven head would laugh his head off and die of it. Heck, he might still be laughing by the time he needed to check in at King Yemma's counter.

Smiling, Trunks again caressed Bulma's tummy. "Hello, little me," he said, almost unable to contain his tears of happiness, "You're gonna be a strong boy. And if Goten is born and you end up being friends with him, you're gonna show him what you've got, okay?" After a brief pause, he continued, "I wish I could stay to see you, but I can't. I have to go home tomorrow… but I know you're gonna look just like me and be as strong as I am now! Yeah, you're gonna be a great warrior someday."

Then, with two light taps, he said, "Enjoy the world, Trunks. It's a great place to live in."

Yes, this revelation had made Trunks's day. Even if he lost to his father later in their sparring match, he knew he couldn't wipe that happy grin off his face.


	22. One Day: Son

_Pre-note: The events in this chapter and chapter 21 are concurrent and independent of each other, so you can choose which one to read first._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Happy reading!_

* * *

><p>Six months had finally elapsed since Goten's arrival on earth.<p>

The time machine had been restored to its perfect condition and, for all intents and purposes, was now ready for use. However, Bulma decided to let the time travellers spend yet another day on the past earth. She was well aware of the fact that for the good of both worlds, it would be best for them not to return here ever again, so why not give them one final day to do and enjoy whatever they could?

Thankful of her generosity, Goten decided to dedicate the whole day for Gohan.

Goten had to wake up very early in the morning—five-thirty, to be exact—to see his best friend off to Capsule Corp. After his departure, Goten returned into the house, sat comfortably on the sofa, and thought of activities to entertain his brother all the way from the morning until night, just the two of them. The stream of ideas was unending; he could think of absolutely anything from visiting the city, playing at the theme park, eating out, going for a swim in the pool, and many more as long as they weren't related to studying. A six-year-old like him could always use lots of fun, didn't he now? Goten would so gladly spend more than one day if he had had the authority, but since one day was all he had, he would need to cram everything into his itinerary.

Yes, after everything he had gone through and achieved, Gohan deserved more than a day's worth of fun and rest. For the past four months and a half, his progress—as well as the extras Goten had seen with his own eyes—was just terrific… one instance was when Gohan was pitted against Trunks and Goten in one go. He was very resolved and even forced himself to continue even after getting extremely tired and beat up. The friends were of course unwilling to do as he asked since they were afraid he would get hurt, but there was no disobeying the steadfast Gohan.

Next, in a sparring session with Gotenks, he got very upset of being completely overwhelmed without a chance to retaliate. Without warning, he suddenly exploded in a fit of frustration and anger, releasing a huge amount of energy in the process, and the next thing Gotenks knew was that he was standing face-to-face with a Super Saiyan kid who very abruptly lunged at him and forced the battle to continue. In this form, Gohan managed to hold his ground for a good amount of time before passing out due to exhaustion, just in time with the expiration of the fusion.

Finally, when Gohan forced Goten to spar with him in the wee hours of the day, the 'older' brother was in for a big surprise. In just a week, Gohan seemed to have mastered the use of energy and control of emotions in his transformed state; right at the start of the fight, he ascended and quickly blitzed Goten with everything in his arsenal, ranging from incredibly quick combos to a variation of Galactic Donuts; instead of cutting the target in half, his version exploded after strangling it. Goten had to ascend to keep up with Gohan, and although the younger halfling ended up losing the fight, he had improved so much—and to say Goten was so proud was an understatement.

Gohan had promised to continue training extra hard with Goku and probably Vegeta after Goten's departure tomorrow. With that attitude, Goten knew his brother would grow to be a very strong young boy, even stronger than he and Trunks were now, and eventually become one of the most respected warriors on earth. He also hoped someday Gohan would also ascend even further—without having to endure yet another loss, if possible, but he knew it was wishful thinking—and finally able to create ghosts of his own, something he had been longing to do since first seeing Gotenks in action.

"You're up early."

Goten's train of thought was broken by a voice. He didn't even need to turn to know it was Chichi; of course, the feminine tone was a dead giveaway, but the fact remained that no one would have woken up this early except for her, who needed to prepare breakfast for the family. Yes, she was a very dedicated and loving mother.

"Oh, hi, mom… yeah, I just saw Trunks off. How are you feeling?" asked Goten. Ever since he first noticed a slight bulge on his mother's tummy, he grew more and more concerned about her health and well-being by the day, although he was happy. For all he knew, there was a fifty per cent chance of the life inside Chichi being him.

The beautiful lady smiled at Goten's attention. "I'm perfectly fine, dear, thanks for asking. But where could Trunks be going at such an early hour?"

"He's gonna stay on Capsule Corp today. I think he wants to spar with his dad," came the reply. After Chichi acknowledged with a nod, she walked toward the kitchen to do her first duty of the day. Seeing her, Goten called, "Mom, are you gonna make breakfast? Now that I can't go back to sleep, can I help you?"

With a beaming smile, Chichi granted him permission to help her in the kitchen. They were going to make chicken porridge for breakfast; true, Goten might not be able to cook, but at least he could help his mother prepare the ingredients, wash the utensils before use, shred some chicken meat, chop some scallions, and he was certainly more than able to measure water using the measuring cup. During this period of mother-son bonding, Goten relayed Trunks's gratitude and apology to the family which Chichi gladly accepted. She regretted, though, that Trunks wouldn't be here for breakfast. They had been so used to gathering around the table and eating together as—or, more accurately, like—one big happy family of five.

Helped by her son, Chichi managed to finish everything in record time, and now they only needed to wait until the porridge was ready. Despite the fact that Goten had been a bit clumsy with the eggs—he dropped two of them—and the shredded chicken turned out to be very chunky, he had fared pretty well overall. It was his first time helping out with food; Chichi thought he must have been a bit tense, so she rewarded his efforts with a cup of peppermint tea to help him cool off from the shock.

While waiting, they exchanged stories about their respective versions of Gohan. The childhood of the one over here didn't surprise Goten one bit since it was practically the same with what he knew, but Chichi was more than enthusiastic when the boy told her the one over there had become an associate professor at only twenty three and that he was thinking of having a kid, which further exhilarated her. Goten also told her mother about her alternate self; from his stories, Chichi acknowledged her doppelganger as being almost exactly the same.

Goten then remembered his plan for the day with Gohan. Now was the perfect time to voice out his request, but at the same time, he knew his mother wouldn't let the poor tyke stray away from his studies that easily. But hey, there's no harm in trying, so he decided to just give it a go. "By the way, mom… is it okay, um, if I take Gohan outside for today?" asked Goten, hesitation in his voice, "I wanna, uh… spend my day with him, if it's okay with you…"

Chichi gave him a rather confused look. "Oh, Goten. That means Gohan has to skip his study, right? You know how important it is for him to pursue his education, don't you?"

There it was, his answer. Somehow he had seen it coming, but it still saddened him. "I… I know. Okay, then…" he said while stooping his head in dejection.

Little did he knew, his mother was actually being slightly mischievous. "But well… you're leaving tomorrow, and I think skipping for only a day won't hurt," she said. Hearing this, Goten lifted his head, and during that brief moment she could see a glimmer of hope in his eyes. Then, with a smile, she finally gave her answer, "Your appeal is successful, dear. Go and have fun together, just you and him. I'm sure he'd love it."

Goten practically jumped from his seat in joy. When else would his mother let Gohan take a break from his studies to play? Even in his timeline, Goten never really had the chance to play with his brother after dinner since Chichi always wanted him to spend most of his time hitting the books. Having fun with Gohan on weekday nights had always be a dream for him… except this time, he was given one full day to spend with another version of him, and no, it was as real as it could get.

With gratitude and gladness, Goten hugged Chichi, and that was when he noticed something different. "Ooh, it's bigger than last time," he said, his ear to her belly as though he was trying to pick up sounds from within, "How many months is it now? Four and a half?"

"Yup. And come to think of it, I think Bulma's in her sixth month now," she replied.

Wow! Did he hear it right? Bulma was also carrying a child of her own! Goten couldn't hide his happy grin; if both of them turned out to be boys, he believed more than anyone else that they would make great friends just as he and Trunks had always been—and perhaps they would come with infinitely more trouble as well. "Wowee, that's awesome! Trunks is gonna be surprised when he finds out. Hee-hee."

In the middle of their mother-son moment, the lid of the pot started to rumble, asking to be taken away from the fire. Seeing the food was all but ready, Chichi asked her son to wake Gohan up. Goten gladly complied; in just a flash, he made his way to the room and—after countless tries—finally succeeded in accomplishing his task of getting his brother back to the land of the wakeful. After helping him make his bed, he carried the lazy Gohan on his back to the bathroom, waited patiently as he brushed his teeth and washed his face, and when he was done he took him to the dining room where Goku and Chichi had already been waiting.

Although the little Saiyan was still sleepy, he didn't miss the absence of Trunks. He asked his mother about his current whereabouts, but all he obtained as his reply was just an exchange of knowing smiles between her and Goten.

"Gohan," Chichi began, "Trunks is off to Capsule Corp for the rest of the day. I'm gonna leave you with Goten today, since your dad and I have to visit the doctor. Are you fine with that?"

"Okay, mom. I'll study hard, so I can play with Goten afterward," replied Gohan.

Goten giggled at Gohan's reply. Really, the kid was so innocent… it seemed as though his mind had been conditioned into thinking he needed to study and train before he could enjoy his reward. Well, it was about time someone proved him wrong and let him know he deserved a nice break from his daily activities.

And of all people, Chichi was the one to break the news. "No, you're not gonna study hard so you can play with Goten. You two will be going to West City and have fun there."

Gohan's reaction upon hearing his mother was exactly the same as his brother's, and he even did a double take. Not believing his ears at first, he even asked Goten to pinch him to ensure he wasn't dreaming. When he did pinch his cheeks, the pain felt very real; instead of giving out an "ouch", a very jolly "yay" was what he exclaimed. It was real, he wasn't imagining it! He could escape his studies and go places with Goten… now that was one heck of a reward.

After eating his breakfast, Gohan then proceeded to take a nice hot bath, put on his best casual clothes, and waited patiently in the living room for Goten to finish washing himself. Chichi entrusted him with a somewhat huge amount of money; he told her it was too much, but she insisted that Gohan bring it with him anyway. After all, they were going to spend a lot of time outside, so it wouldn't hurt to have some money to hold on to just in case.

"Have lots of fun, dear. And when you return, if the doctor is able to tell…" Chichi paused before continuing to make it seem more dramatic, "… I'll let you know if you're gonna have a baby brother or sister."

The gleeful Gohan became even happier when he heard this. "Really? That's awesome, mom!" he said while hugging his mother. The amount of good news he had heard in less than an hour was just too much he couldn't stop smiling.

Finally, Goten was ready and Gohan became extremely raring to go. The brothers—each sporting that Son-esque grin on the face—then thanked their mother for giving them a chance to simply enjoy each other's company for the rest of the day, excused themselves from the house, and blasted off happily into the distance in their usual piggyback formation Gohan referred to as 'Goten Airlines'. It was a quarter to eight when they left.

Yes, and having lots of fun was exactly what they would do. To cut travel time, Goten transformed into a Super Saiyan and darted toward Trunks's hometown, a city where business, technology, and lifestyle intermingled and were always the hot topic of the day. Although really unnecessary, Gohan too ascended just so he could become more like his brother; in their current state, people on the ground would see them as a very bright shooting star with a golden glow—except in broad daylight.

Thanks to the amazing boosters Goten Airlines seemed to be equipped with, they arrived in West City in just thirty minutes, and they were ahead of schedule. Since attraction centres wouldn't be open until ten-thirty, they decided to spend some time enjoying the scenery on a district park where they would sit by a lake and chat about all kinds of things. Gohan was especially interested in knowing how his future counterpart looked like and what he did for a living, so Goten proceeded to passionately tell stories about him, gaining his brother's full attention and admiration.

When they were done with their stories, they had far overshot the ten-thirty checkpoint; it was now a quarter to twelve and they were getting hungrier by the second. Travelling by public bus instead of flying around, Goten then took Gohan to a restaurant within five hundred metres from the theme park. He chose that particular one because back in his timeline, that was his favourite restaurant among countless others in the city at which he, Trunks, and Bulma would occasionally have dinner whenever he stayed over at Capsule Corp. And sure enough, Gohan seemed to enjoy the food as much as Goten did, so they ordered extra portions to satisfy their bottomless pit of a stomach.

And after having lunch, their agenda was none other than play in the theme park. It was true that they couldn't ride the more exhilarating ones such as the rollercoaster since Gohan was underage and barely one metre in height—little did the park staff knew this child had been exposed to more dangerous situations than just a lowly rollercoaster, but hey, rules are rules—but never mind… there were countless attractions to enjoy, such as Western-style shooting arcade, ghost house, rafting ride, 4D theatres, and other fun ones which Goten and Gohan tried one by one in joyous glee.

The boys were so lost in merriment they didn't realise it was already evening. They only noticed it when their stomach started to rumble, so they decided to have dinner on a restaurant inside the park. Sure, the price was slightly more expensive than the one outside, but they were too hungry to even think about the pricing. Besides, they had more money than necessary, so why not? The food turned out to be quite nice as well, although that on Goten's favourite restaurant still topped the list, so there really was no complaining. They again attracted attention of fellow diners by ordering every item marked as chef's recommendation in the menu; when they finally finished their meal, they obtained a thundering round of applause from others in the vicinity for their spectacular feat… as spectacular as the grand total stated on the bill.

The Ferris wheel was the attraction of their choice to end the day full of fun. In their capsule, they reminisced about how things had transpired since their first meeting, a meeting which had altered Gohan's life both figuratively and literally. Many sad and happy occurrences had taken place since 24 December, but judging from the way things were now, everything was going to be alright as the time-space continuum started to heal itself. Remembering his conversation with Trunks during their final approach to earth in the spaceship, Goten let out a silent sigh of relief at the thought of Gohan not having to see Frieza ever again or even Cell.

"Goten! Look at that!"

Goten was yanked back to reality by his brother's exclamation. When he lifted his head to see what had taken Gohan's attention, he was stunned by the brilliant display of fireworks. At first he had to work his mind why there would be such a show in mid-summer, but he soon figured out why. It was around the time of summer festival, and in West City, people had this tradition of crowding the beach to set off all kinds of firecrackers and fireworks at nightfall.

"Nice view, huh? We're lucky for being up here," said Goten. Then, suddenly, an idea crossed his mind, and with a mischievous smile he turned to his brother. "But… you know we can see it more clearly, dontcha?"

"Huh? What do you—wah!"

"Let's go, Gohan! Follow me!"

Playfully, Goten scooped Gohan off his seat and threw him out of the capsule. Their little stunt earned them terrified collective gasps and screams from those nearby—both in the capsule and on the ground—and when they saw the brothers just shot through the dusky blue sky they could be heard shouting "aliens", "Superman", or the likes.

After flying for a while, Goten and Gohan stopped around five kilometres from the beach. With them being so high up above the ground, they were presented a sight no one else could enjoy; there were virtually all kinds of fireworks, ranging from simple trailing ones to huge rockets. The fireworks display lasted for thirty solid minutes, and at the very end of the show a rocket boomed majestically high in the sky, resulting in a wondrous cascade of sparkling gunpowder of different colours which triggered yet another cascade, filling the night sky with the whole spectrum of visible light.

The air was getting colder by the second, and although Gohan looked very happy, there was no denying that he was now very tired—sleepy, even. Of course, they had been out since morning to play and have raw fun all day; who wouldn't be tired? Even Goten felt a little bit weak now, but that didn't matter. As long as he could gladden Gohan, he was more than willing to do anything.

"Tired?" asked Goten.

"Mm-hmm. Very tired…" replied Gohan while stretching furiously, "But I've had fun."

"Yup, I've had fun, too… thanks, Gohan," Goten ruffled his brother's hair. Now that his final day had come to a close with his wish fulfilled, he couldn't get any happier than he was now. "Let's go back home. C'mon, last call for VIP passenger, Mister Son Gohan… please board the aircraft immediately. If you fail to board the aircraft in ten seconds, we're gonna have to depart without you. Hee-hee."

Gohan didn't need to be told twice. In no time, Goten Airlines embarked for Mount Paozu, carrying one very happy and sleepy passenger. The cool night breeze acted as a natural air conditioner, and it just accentuated Gohan's drowsiness. He was ready to let slumber take over his mind, but just before his eyelids shut, he managed to strike a very short conversation with Goten, after which he would simply fall asleep on his back all the way through the journey back home.

"Big brother?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

"… you're welcome, little brother."

Yes, today had been a very blissful day for the two of them, and they loved every moment of it.


	23. Everything in the Right Place

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Happy reading!_

* * *

><p>The time had come.<p>

It was raining softly in West City, and the mood of all those familiar faces seemed to match the weather just perfectly. Save Vegeta, they all gathered on Capsule Corp's indoor garden in a very sombre spirit for having to see Trunks and Goten off to their timeline. In the past six months, they had been a nice and welcome presence amidst the Z-fighters. This was no surprise considering they had defeated Frieza for good, fought for the earthlings, helped Gohan in bringing Piccolo back to life, and done countless other achievements during their stay. Seen from every angle, they were the heroes of this world now.

Among all the people, the one who was most affected by this little but profound farewell was none other than the prodigal Saiyan child, Gohan. True, he knew all along that his brother and friend had to return someday, but somehow it was still beyond him how soon the time had come. Yesterday he was still having fun with Goten, the 'big' brother he never had, the 'big' brother he had grown to be attached to, but today he had to part with the very same person? Life could be unfair sometimes, but it had to go on…

If given the chance, he would very much like to join Trunks and Goten in their journey back to their timeline. He was more than interested to see how life looked like in the future, how his family's counterpart was doing, and even Trunks and Goten's school life. As much as he wanted to go, he knew it was impossible. He had been appointed as the protector of the earth, which obviously came with great responsibilities; for instance, he needed to train with his father and Vegeta to help them achieve their own Super Saiyan transformations.

Besides, if he went, who would take care of his baby sibling? Sure, Goku and Chichi would, but he also wanted to be there for this new life who would be here in less than half a year, just like how Goten had been a great brother to him. He certainly didn't want the baby to be like him; Gohan knew how growing up without a friend or sibling felt like, and he wouldn't let it happen again. He had vowed to himself, to his parents, and to Trunks and Goten that he would do his best in being a caring brother.

Seeing his rather crestfallen brother watching from the sidelines, Goten made his way through the crowd which was flocking around him and Trunks. The last thing he wanted to see was Gohan being sad, so he was going to try his best in cheering him up. How? He didn't know. But at least his presence had always brought comfort to the boy.

"Hey there, little brother."

"Hi…"

Even the "hi" was slightly more dispirited than his usual cheerful one. To somewhat ease the mood, Goten gestured to Gohan to sit down and make themselves comfortable. The younger Son complied and even took it a step further; he lay sprawled on the grass, eyes fixed on the great grey sky beyond the glass ceiling, limbs spread out. He was still a bit sad, but at least Goten was now around, and that was what he needed the most now.

There was no exchange whatsoever between the two, only silence. This moment would be their last time with each other, and they were unsure how they should feel about this. Of course they were happy; the fact had been established that sadness would never wander close to them whenever they were together… but this time it was somewhat contradictory.

After a long period of wordlessness, Goten attempted a conversation. A classic topic, one might say—weather. "It's cold today, huh?"

"Yeah…" replied Gohan. He didn't even shift his focus from the skylight.

The child was clearly trying his best to suppress the urge to prevent his brother from leaving. Goten noticed this, so again gave it his best shot in an attempt to restore his spirit. "Aw, c'mon, Gohan. Don't be sad… you're gonna be just fine!" he said while playfully poking his temple.

"But we're not gonna meet again."

"Yeah, you're right… but you'll soon have someone to take care of, so you won't have to be alone anymore."

"Uh-huh…"

"The doctor said it's a boy, right?" asked Goten. He gained a nod from Gohan as his reply. "She's quite good, huh? I think you're gonna see me when you look at him, so dontcha worry, Gohan!"

It seemed he succeeded in making his brother crack a smile. "Do you think… mom would like it if I suggest naming him Son Goten?"

"Ooh, that's a good name. I like it," Goten giggled at Gohan's question. As for himself, he wouldn't mind Gohan naming his baby brother after him. "I dunno. You should ask mom. Who knows, maybe she's with you."

Gohan sat up and now his attention was fully focused on Goten. His sadness gradually washed away, he said, "I want him to be as strong and cool as you, Goten! I'm gonna help him train and study just like you've helped me."

"So you're gonna be a good big brother to him?"

"Yup!" the tyke nodded and said in unparalleled resolve, "I promise. Then I'm gonna teach him and Trunks the Masenko, Kamehameha, Victory—"

"Sounds fun."

Gohan was cut off mid sentence by a particular person by the name of Trunks. Goten was slightly irritated that his friend interjected Gohan when he was just starting to get excited; to tell the truth, he was interested in hearing what his brother was going to say next.

Gohan gestured for Trunks to come closer and have a seat with them. He complied, and the three were soon engaged in a conversation, their final conversation ever, and talked about everything that had transpired since their first meeting. Gohan continued to tell about training this timeline's Trunks and Goten; what he meant to say earlier was that he would teach them all attacks that had been passed down from the time travellers as some kind of a legacy. The excitement in which he spoke was unmistakable.

Trunks and Goten were amazed at this kid's dedication and resolution. Not only the attacks, Gohan also said he would even teach the fusion technique to them when they were ready. And that was not all; outside their martial arts training, he vowed to help them in their studies and dedicate some time in the weekend to play with both of them. Gohan didn't brush aside the fact, though, that he would spend more time with Goten since—being brothers—they were going to live under the same roof.

"Heh. Trunks won't need that much help," the elder halfling smirked, "I bet he's gonna be the stronger one."

"I beg to differ. Goten is!" the middle one retorted.

"That won't happen. Plus, there's no guarantee that his name's even gonna be Goten."

"He'll be called that. I'm named after heaven, while you? From pants, haha!"

"Hey, watch it, pal! At least I'm a strong pair of pants, not some heaven which can't do anything!"

"Oh? So you're saying I'm not strong?"

"Uh… you're both strong! And Trunks and Goten… uh, I mean the ones over here, will be strong too, alright," Gohan butted in between Trunks and Goten's heated argument, gaining their attention. Then, with a sly grin, he said, "But they won't be as strong as I will be. Heh-heh."

Well, that was a bit unexpected. The Gohan they knew would never say something such as that, much less produce that kind of smile, but it seemed he was indeed not the Gohan they knew all along. Seeing this, Goten gave a nervous giggle and blamed Trunks for having corrupted the kid by passing down his cockiness to him. Trunks of course retaliated; he said it wouldn't happen if Goten hadn't told him to be childish… and the second round began.

Gohan could never get enough of this sight and let out a chuckle. This happened almost every during Trunks and Goten's stay at his house and the reason of their little verbal fight had almost always been insignificant, but for some reason it came as an entertainment to him. Seriously, how these thirteen- and twelve-year-old sometimes acted even more childish than him was beyond him, but it could be that these little trivial fights served to foster their bonds as best friends after all. Perhaps Gohan would see baby Trunks and Goten doing the same thing over the course of their friendship.

This time, Gohan's merriment and his mentors' argument were interrupted by Bulma, who was calling them to gather around the time machine which looked as though it had been a new one altogether. It looked like the others, who were now ready to see the two time travellers off, were no longer gloomy thanks to having seen the kids' interaction with each other. One couldn't possibly miss the overall bittersweet tone to the entire situation, though, as with every other farewell.

The boys knew there would be no further delaying the inevitable. Being given another stretch of delay that Trunks was able to engage in a conversation with Gohan was already very generous of Bulma, but this would be the last time. Trunks walked toward his mother and so did Goten and Gohan toward their parents; their farewell was tearful to the parents, of course, but the hybrids managed to stay strong and hold back their tears. They had to be strong for Gohan, too, and besides, Trunks wouldn't show his true emotions in front of Vegeta and Goten… not in his life.

It was during this final farewell when Gohan asked Goku and Chichi whether his baby brother could be named after his 'big' brother. "Please…?" he pleaded with his puppy eyes that he must have gotten from Goten.

"Hmm… I dunno what to think about this, Chi," came Goku's reply before he smiled sheepishly, "I'll let you handle this."

Chichi sighed. "You're never too reliable in family-related matters, aren't you, Goku?' she asked, "Alright, how do I say this? Gohan, I'll just be honest to you. I've thought about this before, and I was afraid if I name your brother after Goten, you'll see him as this Goten," she turned to said boy, "and it may prevent you from letting go. I don't want you to dwell in the past, dear."

Gohan slightly stooped his head and could only give a somewhat sad "okay". Goten proceeded to cheer him up by saying even though the name might be different, he would still be his brother. He even went as far as saying had Gohan gone by any other name, he would still treat him as his brother. Yes, it sounded cheesy, but Goten claimed that even though Gohan had lied about his identity, there was something which just screamed otherwise. Perhaps it was his energy signature or the bond between them… what it could be was for him to know and for others to find out.

"However… I did say 'was'," Chichi continued, "You have to know, Gohan, that you're among the best things that ever happened to me. You're a handsome, clever, and strong little boy, and I love you," she said while hugging Gohan. Her act triggered a sincere "ooohh" from Goten, unlike that mushy one he had used to tease Vegeta and Bulma. "Yes, I was worried, but no, I believe you won't dwell in the past, dear. You're the strongest little boy I've ever known, and I'm so proud of you. You will move on."

Chichi released Gohan and turned again to the physically older Son boy. "And Goten, you too are among those things. You're a brave young boy, and I won't forget what you've done. You've fought for Gohan, for all of us…" this time she hugged him, "… and you too are my son, although from another timeline, but does it matter, dear? And you're such a great brother to Gohan… just like your name, you're a great gift from heaven. There's no reason not to name him as Gohan suggested…"

Hearing her, Gohan's eyes sparkled with hope. "Mom, does it mean—"

"Yes, dear," she quickly replied—almost interjected, even—without releasing Goten from her hug, "Son Goten will live on in our family as your little brother, our youngest. Goten, your spirit will live on in him."

That was all it needed to make Gohan jump in excitement. So, the baby was going to be Goten in every sense after all! How excited he was at the prospect of passing down to his little brother what his 'big' brother had passed down to him. With that, he threw himself into his mother's hug and Goku followed; the resulting big family hug warmed everyone's heart.

After they were done with their affectionate moment, Trunks strolled along and approached the Son parents to express his utmost gratitude for having let him stay for six months, and for how they had treated him like their own son. Goku and Chichi said not to worry about it; that was the least they could have done in exchange for his help in training Gohan and helping with his academic endeavour.

And now, it was time for Trunks and Goten to board the trans-temporal express back to their timeline. Trunks flashed a sign of respect to his father which he reciprocated with a similar one, and it made the boy smile. Goten left all his shrunken shirts and game console—along with his whole collection of games—for Gohan's use, much to Chichi's initial chagrin, but she reluctantly agreed when the very happy kid promised her he could manage his time well and that playing wouldn't interfere with his studies.

"Be a good big brother, okay?" Goten hugged Gohan for the final time.

"Mm-hmm. I promised, right?" the youngest replied with a smile.

After letting go of Gohan, Goten flew into their time machine. Trunks followed suit; he seated himself on the pilot seat, punched several buttons, and cried a loud "goodbye!" for everyone to hear. They all waved at them; they waved back as the canopy was lowered, and when his eyes met Gohan's Goten flashed him a sign of victory, which his 'little' brother returned with two signs and a very broad grin. With that, Trunks punched one last button and that was that… poof went the time machine, lost to the thin air. They were gone.

Believing his words could transcend time and space, Gohan whispered, "Thank you, big brother." Then, with his hands wrapped around his mother's tummy, he said, "I won't forget you, because I can't. Four months from now, you'll arrive in this world, Goten…"

Then, looking up beyond the skylight into the now blue sky, he said, "Little brother."

* * *

><p>"Trunks, Goten! Wake up, breakfast's ready!"<p>

Bulma had been knocking on Trunks's bedroom door for quite some time now, but the mischievous children failed to give a single reply. She gave another round of knock, but still the result was the same; out of curiosity, she opened the door and tiptoed inside.

There they were, Trunks and Goten. They were still lying sprawled unceremoniously—limbs spread out to all directions—as though lifeless on the enormous bed like a pair of angels… except she knew they weren't that innocent. She let out a sigh at the sight; gently, she covered the boys with the blanket which had somehow found its way to the floor just beside the bed, along with two bolsters and two pillows. It looked like they had been thrashing around in their sleep.

"Look at them, so peaceful," Bulma smiled, "Well, I guess I'll let them sleep a little longer. Last night they were so busy doing something with Trunks's laptop… perhaps watching a movie until dawn again. These boys… who knows what adventure they might be having in their heads." She chuckled, then said again, "I'll be back in an hour. You better enjoy all the sleep you can get."

Little did she knew, Trunks and Goten really had experienced more than six month's worth of adventure in just one night, for which they deserved a good deal of rest. Their not-so-little trip to the past had been crazy, but also fun, sad, thrilling, and exciting at the same time; thanks to that they had discovered the secrets to becoming Super Saiyan 2. There were so many good things and lessons to pick up from the adventure, but there was also a bad one…

… when they celebrated their subsequent birthdays, they would actually be six months and a half older.


	24. Hereafter

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Happy reading!_

* * *

><p>"Was it a dream?"<p>

"Nuh-uh. It felt too real."

"What if it is?"

"No, it isn't!" Goten pouted. Seriously, sometimes his friend could be even more thick-skulled than him. "Lemme test you, then. Who got stabbed?"

"You did," replied Trunks.

"Yeah, and it hurt like heck. Whom did we teach our moves?"

"Gohan."

"What did—"

"No talking while eating, remember? You are young men now, so show some manners."

Goten's interrogation was cut short by Bulma reprimanding them. She might not be Chichi, but it was true that she had her own version of the dreaded Frying Pan of Apocalypse which had been proven to be more than capable of inflicting harm on them and even Vegeta. They knew better than to disobey the two masters of the Frying Pan, so they complied and continued eating like nothing had happened. Goten managed to whisper something about everything being real, though.

"After you're done with your breakfast, go have a shower. Goku will get Goten back home at ten," Bulma instructed.

"Gee, why does dad have to come over? I can get back by myself," Goten mumbled.

"He just needs to make sure his baby's okay," said Trunks between his spoonfuls of honey-flavoured cereal stars.

"I'm not a baby."

"Yes, you are. Gohan's baby brother."

"Oh yeah? I can say the same to you, Auntie Bulma's baby boy."

"Trunks! Goten! Stop acting like little babies and finish your breakfast!" Bulma hollered, gaining the hybrids' terrified attention, "For the sake of all that's good, you're thirteen and twelve now, so start behaving like someone your age!"

Trunks and Goten gave a collective "okay" in unison and proceeded to finish their bowls of cereal and chug their tall glasses of milk in record time. As Bulma had commanded, they quickly scurried back to their den which was Trunks's room, and entered separate bathrooms to have shower—yes, since the youngest Son could come to stay over more than four times in a week, Bulma went as far as constructing a new bathroom in Trunks's room for his exclusive use.

By the time they had washed themselves clean, the clock had struck nine. While waiting for Goku's arrival, they initially planned to finish the game Trunks had started, but they remembered Goten had given the console along with his whole array of games to Gohan. As a very unlikely alternative, they preceded Vegeta in his training in the gravity room and pitted themselves against each other. At first, the proud prince couldn't stop rambling about how those confounded brats—as he put it—had robbed him of his chance, but after sensing their abnormal efflux of power he couldn't help taking a peek inside.

How surprised he was when he found his son and that of his lifelong rival engaged in a heated battle with one another in their newly attained state. Arcs of electricity danced around their body and their auras blazed fiercely in a brilliant golden colour. Unlike Gohan when he first transformed during the Cell Games, however, he noticed they weren't consumed by rage; instead, they were as playful as ever albeit slightly more serious, a sight which led him to think they must have been able to control the intense emotions needed to trigger that very transformation. That would mean it had been quite some time since they first attained that state, but when? For all he knew, they had been slacking off these last five years, so did it mean they had been training in secret?

Intent on finding out, he barged inside the gravity room in the middle of their match, transformed into Super Saiyan 2 straightaway in front of the very dumbfounded Trunks and Goten, and demanded that they divulge their secrets while challenging them at the same time. Of course, complying with Vegeta's demands wasn't in the terrible troublemakers' agenda, and they were more than willing to go the extra mile of defeating the proud Saiyan here and now to protect them.

They had put up a good fight, but in the end they still lost to the more experienced warrior. That being said, Vegeta was surprised when the children exhibited knowledge of techniques they previously didn't know, such as that blade beam which had been exclusive to Vegito.

"You've improved much, but don't think you can ever surpass me, the Prince of All Saiyans!" Vegeta smirked in unparalleled pride while exiting the gravity room in a very haughty manner.

"Sheesh! Even in our Super Saiyan 2 forms he's still way out of our league," Trunks glowered as he untransformed, "Man, this sucks."

"That's why we should train harder. Whew… there goes another one," said Goten. His clothes had tears here and there; he was beginning to think what he should say to Chichi about this… not to mention the missing ones he had left in the past.

They had been so engrossed in their fight and the subsequent one with Vegeta they didn't realise having been inside for more than two hours. When they went out, it was already a quarter past eleven. However, Goku was nowhere to be seen; that was so unlike him, since he was usually really on the clock thanks to his very convenient trick called the Instant Transmission. Well, that was alright, since Trunks and Goten could really use another round of shower to wash themselves clean after all the fight.

* * *

><p>"Hi, Bulma!"<p>

"Oh, hey. I've got your message. You're here to get Goten, right?"

"Yup. Is he here?"

"Well, he's having a shower now, but he should come out any time soon," said Bulma. She then insisted that her guest come in and enjoy a cup of tea and a few cookies while waiting. Offering him a seat in the very spacious living room, she said to him, "Make yourself at home, as always. I'll go tell Goten to be quick. If you need anything, just call me via the PA system, okay?"

"Sure. Thanks, Bulma."

"No problem. Goten will be happy to have you here."

The guest, a rather tall man, was no stranger to Capsule Corp. It had been a while, though, since his last visit, and when he took a look around the living room he noticed some changes. 'Time really flies,' he said to himself, 'Or perhaps I just need to come here more often, like Goten. Practically this is like his second home…'

He seated himself on the couch and sipped the tea. Cinnamon. His favourite. Bulma seemed to always know his likes and dislikes. And the cookies as well… peanut butter. One of the items he placed on top of his list of favourite things. However, Capsule Corp wasn't his home, and there was no denying that the food back home would always be the best.

It wasn't until the fifteenth minute that he started to hear footsteps from the hallway accompanied by raspy voices. One was slightly higher in pitch than the other; there was no mistaking it. These voices were Trunks and Goten's, and they were talking to each other about something which seemed to be related to time travel. Why would Goten be interested in scientific stuff like that? Although it was true that after much suffering he was now one of the top students in his class, but science was one of the things he used to hate with passion. Arts and history were his favourite, he knew it.

When Goten entered the living room, he said nonchalantly, "Hey, da—"

Even before he could finish that short sentence he was cut off by the sight of the man before him. It wasn't his dad; in fact, that was the last person he thought would come and get him. Don't get him wrong, he bore no ill will, but it was just this particular man was usually busy with his work and all he hardly had time to even talk to him. But now, he was here.

He was the person Goten would like to meet after returning from the past.

"Hi, squirt. You had fun?"

Wide-eyed, Goten even had to do a double take. Were his eyes playing tricks on him? He rubbed his eyes to ensure they weren't, and they were indeed not. The man was still there, standing in front of him.

"G-gohan? Arentcha supposed to be at the campus?" he stuttered, "Did you take a day-off? You don't have to do it just to get me, you know…"

"Yeah, I don't have to. But…" Gohan approached his little brother and playfully clutched his spiky hair, "I want to. Actually I wanna invite you for a lunch with me at your favourite restaurant. The really old one by the theme park, remember?" he asked. Why, how could he not remember? He just went there yesterday—no, scratch that, seventeen years ago. Gohan failed to notice the grin which was gradually forming on Goten's face, and continued, "Besides, it's been a long time since we really talked much, and I figured this is the good time to catch—"

"Wowee, this is awesome! Then c'mon, Gohan! Whatcha waiting for? Let's go!"

The elder brother was taken aback by Goten's abnormal excitement. Little did he knew, he came at the really appropriate time; after everything that had happened in the past, Goten obviously could use some time together with his present brother to start closing the distance which had formed between them.

Goten kept dragging Gohan by the hand as he urged him to hurry and not waste time. What the elder brother had done just to reconnect with him was plain breathtaking; normally, he would barely have enough time to have lunch due to all those papers he needed to read, and not to mention those clueless graduate students older than him who kept coming to his office to ask for guidance, even during the lunch break. But this time… Gohan had managed to brush aside all that nonsense and make time for him. That was one heck of a sacrifice, and Goten wouldn't want his brother to have done it for nothing.

"Hey, take it easy, little guy," said Gohan. He then turned to Bulma. "Thanks for the snack, Bulma. I'd love to stay here longer, but someone's getting really impatient for some reason."

Bulma just chuckled and told him not to worry. Gohan then offered Trunks to join them for lunch, but he politely declined. According to the eldest of the angel-faced fiends, Gohan should just spend the time alone with Goten because "… he needs you," he said. Of course his enigmatic response left the young scientist confused, but he nodded and invited him for the next lunch session nonetheless.

"Thanks, Trunks! Thanks, Auntie Bulma!" Goten bowed in gratitude for having been allowed to stay over for the night, then turned to Gohan again, "C'mon, big brother, let's not waste time. There are so many things I wanna tell you!"

"Okay, okay. What's with the rush? Gee…" Gohan rubbed the back of his head in a very Son-esque manner, "Right. Bulma, Trunks, sorry for the trouble. Good day and see you."

"Bye, Gohan. Drop by soon!"

"See you, Gohan."

With that, Goten dragged his brother outside in record time and leapt inside the hovercar. In no time, they drove off into the distance, almost flouting the traffic rules, toward their destination. Although they planned to catch up over the lunch, it seemed Goten just couldn't wait any longer; stating how much he had missed Gohan and recounting what he had done during the vacation period, a string of lengthy sentences spurted incessantly from his mouth.

Yes, this day was bound to be a great day for the brothers.

* * *

><p>"Look at them. They're really great brothers, don't you think, Trunks?"<p>

"They sure are…"

Seeing Goten so happy with his brother, Trunks remembered his desire which he had buried deep within himself since six months ago. That want just resurfaced all of a sudden after being dormant for so long… why? Was it because during his stay at the Son house, he had treated Gohan as his little brother? It was possible; in a way, little Gohan's presence around him had kind of repressed that very desire.

But now that said boy was no longer around, he needed someone to care about. Someone whom he would gladly take care of, be with in happy times and sad, and give his life for if need be. Most importantly, that someone had to be someone else than Goten, and had to be related to him by blood.

To be honest, he was tired of being only a brother figure. Don't get him wrong, though; quite literally being his other half due to Gotenks, Goten was and still would be his best friend, and although he would never show it to the world, he was proud of having the sometimes irritating boy as his brother figure.

And so came the moment of truth. Rallying his courage, he finalised his resolve and boldly jumped over the great barrier…

… because he was very certain. He was now more than ready to have a brother or sister of his own.

"Mom," Trunks finally said, "I wanna be a brother, too."

* * *

><p><em>Well, that's all, folks. It's not the best ending, I concur, and perhaps chapter 23 would have made a better one, but I really wanted to touch on how Trunks and Goten's adventure in the past had influenced their innermost desires: to have a baby sibling for Trunks, and to reconnect with Gohan for Goten. Of course, if you want, you can treat this chapter as an extra.<em>

_Anyway… YEAH! The Passage Not Taken has now officially come to a close! I've had a lot of fun writing this story, and the past two months have been a great time for me. I hope you've had fun reading this story just as I have in writing it, and with this, allow me to express my gratitude to all those who had been regularly reviewing and/or commenting on the story. They really kept me going, and many thanks for that! And of course, to YOU, dear reader, for sticking with me until the very end. You've been an awesome audience!_

_And by the way, the adventure continues... in The Passage Not Seen. Do check it out as well! See you next story!_


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